This time I'll save you
by Sylvera
Summary: Usually, Kairi isn't much of a hero, but when Sora and Riku are taken by a mysterious figure, who else is there to help? With the help of some new friends, she sets off to save them for once. Dead fic as of 8/21/12.
1. Chapter One: Loss

If you're new to this story, then I'd like you to know that I'm in the process of revising this story. I started writing it a long time ago, and so I'm redoing the first few chapters. So if there's a drop in quality at some point, then that probably means that I haven't gotten around to editing that chapter yet. Not all the chapters will be revised, just the older ones.

On that note, I hope you enjoy this story. I've certainly worked hard on it.

* * *

The strange, shadowed figure stepped closer. Sora summoned his Keyblade immediately, and Riku did the same. "What do you want?" shouted Sora.

It took a few more steps towards the trio. "I need something from you boys," it said. It had a male voice, but its body simply resembled a human silhouette. It was impossible to make out any features.

Riku leaned towards Kairi. "Run," he whispered. "This guy looks like trouble."

Kairi hesitated. "But what about you?"

"Just go, please. We can handle him."

Kairi tried to sneak away, but realized that that wouldn't work. She launched into a run, going as fast as she could. But the strange figure noticed, and materialized in front of her. "You're not going anywhere," he said, coldly.

He grabbed her, and a knife appeared in his hand. In a single movement, he put one arm around her and held the knife to her throat. "You two," he said, looking straight at Sora and Riku. "Come with me, or the girl dies."

Sora's eyes widened, a look of horror on his face. Riku looked shocked, but then relaxed a little. "She's a Princess of Heart," he said. "She could be valuable. Are you sure you want to kill her?"

"It doesn't matter what she is," the thing snapped. "She'll die just the same."

Sora was silent. Then he looked down, and his Keyblade vanished from his hand. "I'll go," he muttered.

The thing nodded. "Good. And the other?"

Kairi watched, horrified, as Riku stepped forward. The thing pulled the knife away, and pushed Kairi onto the sandy ground. "Excellent," he hissed.

He pointed at the ground, and a beam of dark purple light appeared. Kairi got to her feet, and glared at him. "What do you want with them?" she asked.

The thing chuckled, as her friends disappeared into the light. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Kairi ran after him, but he was gone almost immediately. She stared at the place that the light had been. "Get back here!" she shouted. "You can't just take them like that! You can't!"

Her response was nothing but silence. All she heard was the waves on the shore, and the cries of seagulls in the distance. "You…you can't," she muttered.

* * *

For several minutes after that, she simply sat on the beach, sobbing. All they'd wanted to do was go back to the little island. Why had this happened? Why did that _thing _have to show up and ruin it? How could this be happening? It was supposed to be over! They were supposed to just be at home, and live peaceful, ordinary lives again!

And she just couldn't get over how he had used _her_ to get to them. She'd been the reason that he'd been able to make them go with him. If she hadn't been there, Sora and Riku could have beaten that thing easily!

And…why were Sora and Riku so important to him, anyway? What could he want with the m that was important enough to pull something like that? It may have been a dirty trick, but she had to admit that it was clever. When it came to people like them, it was almost foolproof.

She got to her feet, and wandered around the island for a while. Everything was so beautiful. The absence of her friends was the only indication that something was wrong. Somehow, it just felt _wrong _to her. How could the world be so perfect while she was feeling this sense of chaotic despair?

Eventually, she ended up at the secret place. She looked at the drawings on the walls, trying to remember when each one had been done. That one over there was the dolphin that Sora had drawn for her, after the first time she'd seen a real one. And that one next to the tall rock was her first drawing here. It was supposed to be a sailboat, but you couldn't really tell by looking at it.

And then she saw the one that she and Sora had drawn together, when they were both little kids. It had been added to more recently – Sora had drawn a paopu fruit, with an arrow pointing to the drawing of Kairi. She didn't know when he'd done this, but she did remember finding it this way. It had been shortly after this world had been restored. She'd been flattered, but unsurprised. After her heart had been with his for so long, she knew how her friend felt about her. And it was then that she realized that she'd been feeling the same way about him. And she she'd added to it as well, another fruit and arrow.

She put her hand up against the drawing, and the tears began all over again.

After a while, she noticed Namine's voice in her head. _Please, don't blame yourself, _she said. _It's not your fault. There was nothing you could have done. _

_ I know, _Kairi thought back. _But it still hurts. _

She stood up, and looked around. _What now? _she thought. _We don't have a gummi ship on the islands, so how will anyone know what happened? What can I do?_

She sat there in the little cave for a while longer, waiting for her Nobody to say something back. _I don't know, _said Namine.

Kairi stood up, and walked out of the cave in the direction of the rowboats. She figured she might as well let her parents know what happened.

All of a sudden, she heard something. She looked around, and saw nothing. Then she looked up.

In the sky was a strange looking object. It kind of looked like a gummi ship, but then again, she hadn't seen many before.

She tried to ignore it, but the noise only got louder. Curious and excited, she ran towards the highest area she could find.

As it got closer, the shape became more identifiable. Eventually it landed, not too far away. She hesitated for a moment, but then ran over in its direction.

When it came into view, Kairi could see that it was definitely a ship. It was made of white and purple blocks, and had the symbol of Disney Castle painted on one side. That was probably a good sign. Shortly after Kairi found the door, it began to open.

Two creatures emerged from the ship. One looked like a mouse, wearing a pink dress. The other was a duck, wearing purple. Kairi had never seen them before, but it was safe to say that they were probably from the same place that Sora's friends were from. They had that same look to them.

She stared at them for a moment, and they stared back. Then, the mouse smiled. "You must be Kairi," she said. "Could you get Sora and Riku? It's very important."

Kairi looked down. "I can't," she muttered. "This thing showed up, and – "

"Took them away?" finished the duck.

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. He threatened to kill me if they didn't go. So they really didn't have much choice.

"Looks like we've got something in common, then," said the duck. "He came to the castle, too. He took the King, Goofy, AND Donald."

Kairi looked at her, surprised. "He did?"

"That's why we came here," said the mouse. "We were going to ask your friends to help us, but it looks like we were too late."

She looked at Kairi and smiled. "I've heard much about you, but I don't believe we've met. I'm Queen Minnie, and this is Daisy."

Kairi smiled faintly. "Well, you guessed right about who I am. I'm Kairi. Good to meet you."

She looked around. "Well, what now?" she asked. "We can't let that thing have his way with them. Do the two of you know how to fight?"

Daisy thought for a moment. "I don't fight, but I've studied healing and defensive magic, and I must say I'm pretty good at it. And the Queen was required to learn to defende herself, so she knows magic as well. Do you have any useful skills?"

Kairi looked nervous. "Me?"

"Yes, you. Don't you want to help your friends?"

Kairi thought for a moment. "Well, Sora's been teaching me how to fight," she said. "Just a little, but I think I'm OK at it. And I have this."

She held out her hand, and concentrated. At first, nothing happened. But soon, her weapon appeared – a pink Keyblade decorated with floral designs. Minnie and Daisy looked surprised. "You have a Keyblade?" asked Minnie. "I wasn't expecting that. Where'd you get it?"

"Riku gave it to me in the World that Never Was," said Kairi, recalling her first and only real battle. "I'm not sure where he got it, though. Like I said, Sora has been teaching me how to use it, so I'd probably be some help."

Daisy nodded. "Sounds good to me."

She motioned towards the door to the ship. "Shall we?"

"Wait," said Kairi, nervously. "We're leaving now? Like, right away?"

"As soon as possible, yes," said Minnie.

Kairi took a deep breath. "OK then. I'll go."

"I was thinking we should go to Hollow Bastion," said Daisy. "It would be a good place to get supplies. Plus, I know that the guys have friends there. Maybe they could help us."

"Sounds great," said Kairi.

She looked around at the little island. She felt nervous about leaving, but there was nothing to be gained by staying here. This was her chance. She knew she had to take it.

* * *

There. That's MUCH better than it used to be, isn't it? :)


	2. Chapter Two: New Friends

The first thing the three of them saw when they beamed down into Hollow Bastion was a young green-haired girl staring at them.

The girl stood there for a moment. Then she ran off. "Terra! TERRA!" she shouted.

Kairi looked at her companions, then ran after the girl.

When they found her, she was standing next to a woman sitting on a bench. "Terra, these three appeared out of nowhere! Do you think they're visitors? I've never seen them around town before."

Terra smiled. "I don't know, Rydia. Why don't you ask them?"

Rydia turned around and looked up at Kairi. "Are you visiting this town?" she asked.

Kairi smiled back. "We are."

She looked at Terra. "Is she your sister?"

"No, we're not related," answered Terra. "But I take care of her."

Terra looked down. "See, a while back, this place was destroyed. Rydia was really little back then, and her mother died in the attack. So I decided I would keep her safe, and I have been ever since then. We only moved back from Traverse Town about three months ago, and it's been so long since she's been here. It's all new to her."

She smiled. "I guess you could say I'm kind of like a mom and a big sister rolled into one."

Minnie smiled. "That's sweet."

"So, if you're travelers, then why are you here?" asked Rydia.

"We're looking for some friends of ours," said Kairi.

"See, not too long ago, this thing came to our home," said Daisy. "It took Minnie's husband, my boyfriend, and another friend of ours."

"So they came to me," said Kairi. "They wanted help from two of my friends, but the thing took them, too. So we're out trying to find them."

Terra looked worried. "That's awful! I hope you find them soon."

"But why did you come here?" asked Rydia.

"One of my friends knows people here, and we were hoping they would help us," explained Kairi.

"Do you mean the people who are trying to fix the town?" asked Rydia. "You probably do. Everyone knows them."

"I think so," said Daisy. "Could you take us to them?"

"Of course!" exclaimed Rydia. "Follow me!"

She ran off again, and the rest of them followed. "So what are your names?" asked Terra.

"I'm Kairi," said Kairi.

"I'm Minnie, and this is Daisy," said Minnie.

"Well, you probably figured this out already, but I'm Terra," said Terra. "It's nice to meet the three of you."

After walking a few blocks, they came to a funny little house. Rydia ran over and knocked on the door. A young woman answered the door. "Merlin's not home," she said. "Unless you were looking for someone else?"

"Just you and your friends," said Rydia. "There's three ladies here to see you."

Kairi, Minnie, and Daisy stepped forward. "I know you!" the woman exclaimed. "You're…Kairi, right? Sora's friend?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. And I need to talk to you, and everyone else. It's important."

"I'm afraid I haven't seen Aerith in a while, but everyone else is around. I'll go get them."

She paused. "Hey Kairi, do you remember MY name?"

Kairi thought for a moment. "No, sorry. We barely know each other. I've only seen you once before."

"It's Yuffie," the woman said.

She waved. "Be right back."

And with that, she was gone.

* * *

Not too long after, Yuffie returned with two others. "We couldn't find Cloud," she explained. "And Cid is off fixing someone's ship. He gets really mad when people interrupt him while he's working, so we decided to leave him alone."

She turned to the other two. "These would be Leon and Tifa."

The tough looking man glanced over, and the woman in black waved.

Kairi took a deep breath. "OK, so here's my problem. Sora and Riku are gone. Some shadowy thing came to our islands and took them. And you know those two guys he's always with? It took them too. So we were wondering if maybe you could help.

All of a sudden, a woman in a pink dress ran over, looking distraught. "That'd be Aerith," said Yuffie. "Wonder what's up with her?"

But that question was soon to be answered. "Cloud's missing!" Aerith cried. "I looked in all his favorite hangouts, and he's not there. I haven't seen him all day. Has anyone else?"

Leon shook his head. "I haven't."

"Maybe whatever took their friends took him too," said Terra, pointing to Kairi, Minnie, and Daisy.

"No way!" cried Rydia. "Cloud is tough. He can beat anything!"

Kairi shook her head. "No," she said. "That thing uses threats to get people to come with it. It threatens to hurt people they care about if they don't come. If it took Cloud, that's probably how it did it. He wouldn't have had a chance to fight it."

"That's just low," muttered Tifa.

"It is," agreed Terra.

"So, are the three of you going to find your friends and get them back?" asked Leon. "Are you sure you can? I doubt you have much experience in battle."

Kairi shrugged. "We don't," she said. "But if we don't help them, who will? We don't have much choice."

"Can't they take care of themselves, though?" asked Yuffie. "Who says they can't bust out on their own?"

"They probably could, given the chance," said Daisy. "But we don't know if they'll get that chance."

"After all, if it was us who had been taken, they would come after us for sure," commented Minnie. "We ought to do the same."

"So can't any of you guys help them?" asked Rydia.

Aerith shook her head. "I wish we could. But we're all so busy. We'll always be here if you need us."

Daisy turned to Kairi. "We brought some emergency munny with us. Didn't you want to buy supplies?"

"I did."

Yuffie took a good look at her. "Hey, if you're going to be out doing battle…"

She pointed at her. "You might want to wear pants."

Kairi looked down at the short dress she was wearing. "You're probably right."

The three of them began to leave. "Wait!" cried Rydia.

The girl ran up to them, then looked at Terra. "Can we go with them?" she pleaded. "I want to help."

"Rydia, it's going to be dangerous. You might get hurt," said Terra.

Rydia pouted. "But Terra, you know how to fight! You have a sword at home, and we both know magic. And I have my bag of stones. We'll be OK."

"Bag of stones?" asked Kairi."

Rydia nodded. "Terra says Mom gave it to her before she died. The stones were her most prized possessions, and she wanted me to have them. If you use them, nice people and creatures come out to help you."

Terra sighed. "I suppose we could come with you. But please, promise me you'll help keep Rydia safe. She's only twelve, you know. She's still young, and I don't want her getting hurt."

"Of course," said Minnie.

Rydia looked up at Kairi. "So are you going to buy a new outfit?" she asked.

"Probably."

Rydia grinned. "There's a place over by the weapon shop that has really cute clothes. Come on, I'll show you!"


	3. Chapter Three: Setting Out

"Kairi, you look great!" squealed Rydia

After a bit of searching, Kairi had found an outfit she really liked. A white shirt with a jagged pink stripe on the top, with thin, double black straps. Purple capri pants with the same pink pattern on the bottom of the legs. Two thin black straps crisscrossing across the waist, and dark pink zip-up boots with purple stripes across the feet.

She posed in front of the mirror. "She's right," said Terra. "That looks really good on you."

Kairi looked over at Minnie and Daisy, who were browsing around the store. "Are you two going to buy anything?" she asked.

"No, probably not," said Daisy. "I doubt that anything they sell here would fit us. Besides, Minnie and I are perfectly comfortable with what we're wearing now."

"Let's see," said Kairi, after she bought the new clothes and changed into them. "We've stocked up on items, and I've bought this. Daisy has her staff in the ship, and Minnie doesn't need a weapon. I guess we just need to stop by Rydia and Terra's house and pick up their stuff."

"Looks like it," said Terra.

After walking for a while, they reached a small, ordinary looking house. "Here we are," announced Terra.

She and Rydia ran inside. In a few minutes, they returned. Terra carried a short, simple sword, and Rydia had on a belt with a surprisingly ordinary looking bag attached. She also carried a long length of something that appeared to be a whip.

"You didn't mention that," said Minnie, pointing to the whip.

Terra shrugged. "It's basically her weapon. We figured she should bring it along."

Kairi noticed the bag of stones. "So what do they all do?" she asked.

Rydia sat down and dumped all the stones onto the ground. She pointed to them, one at a time. "This one is a pretty woman who uses ice. This one is a scary man whose power is fire. This one's an old man who uses lightning. This one is a big, tough man who can make earthquakes. This one's a funny bird, and this one's a pretty dragon made of mist. This one's a big sea serpent, this one's a weird lady who heals you, and this one's a knight. And this one…"

She pointed to the last one, a purple so dark it was almost black. "This one I've never used. But I think it's super strong. I tried to use it once, but I decided not to because trying made me really tired."

"That's really cool!" said Kairi. "So, if you summon them in battle, they'll help you out, right?"

"Exactly."

"Wow."

Terra walked over. "So Kairi, where are we going now?"

Kairi looked over at Minnie and Daisy. "I don't know. Hey, do you guys know anywhere we could go next?"

"Not really," said Minnie. "I haven't done much traveling. Let's just go anywhere."

Kairi shrugged. "Fine with me."

* * *

As soon as they got on the ship, Rydia started exploring. "This is so cool!" she exclaimed. "Kairi, is it yours?"

"Actually, it's mine," said Minnie. "It's my personal ship. Do you like it?"

"I love it!" she said, happily.

"It is pretty impressive," commented Terra. "Much nicer than the one we took from Traverse Town back to Hollow Bastion."

"Well, she is a queen," said Daisy. "She's got to have the very best, right?"

Rydia stared at Minnie. "You're a queen?" she blurted. "Why didn't you say so?"

Kairi grinned. "You didn't ask."

She looked around. "So, who flies this thing?"

"I do," said Daisy. "You wouldn't think it, but I'm a decent pilot."

Terra looked over at Minnie. "She can't even fly her own ship?"

"No, not yet," said Daisy. "But she's learning."

As soon as the ship started flying, Kairi went off to a room by herself. She sat down on a box of something, and took a moment to think.

_You see? You can do something about this! _Namine said, sounding excited.

_Yeah, you're right. But if Minnie and Daisy hadn't come along, we'd still be back home. We owe them a lot for giving us this chance._

_True._

Namine appeared next to Kairi. "I'm glad we met up with Terra and Rydia, too. They seem like nice enough people."

"They do. I'm glad they're coming with us."

Namine looked up. "I hope the guys are OK. Wherever they are…"

"I hope so too," murmured Kairi.

"We'll find them though. I know we will. We'll save them, and we'll all go back home together. Sora, Riku…and Roxas."

"I just can't help but worry about them," said Kairi, not seeming to notice the extra name Namine had snuck in. "I'm scared. I keep thinking about what Sora would do. I wonder if it was always this hard for him, going out and doing things like this every day. I know I'm not, but I just feel so alone."

"You're not alone, Kairi," said Namine, smiling. "You have all of them. And you have me."

All of a sudden, Rydia opened the door. "Hey Kairi, how're you – "

She saw Namine and screamed. Kairi ran over to her, and tried to calm her down. Terra ran over, and saw her too. "What the…?"

Kairi looked embarrassed. "This is Namine," she said. "No, she's not a ghost, even though she looks like she could be. She always looks like this when she takes on physical form. It's hard to explain, but you don't have to worry about her. She's on our side all the way."

Rydia still looked shaken. "OK."

Suddenly, Daisy called from the front of the ship. "Kairi, Terra, Rydia, we need you."

Namine faded back into Kairi, who ran up to the cockpit with the other two. They looked out the window, and saw that they were approaching some world. "What's this one called?" asked Terra.

Daisy shrugged. "I don't know. The ship's map doesn't have a name for this one. It appears to be some sort of forest environment. Shall we go?"

Kairi nodded. "I doubt that they would be there, but I suppose we could check. Ask around, see if anyone's seen them."

"Sounds good," said Terra. "Let's go."


	4. Chapter Four: Captives

Sora was bored. He'd been sitting in this large jail cell type place for who knows how long. He and Riku had already tried to get out, but nothing had worked. The thing had brought them there several hours ago, and he'd had nothing to do all that time. He'd tried to rest, and thought he'd fallen asleep for a while, but when he got up, his head hurt. Not easy trying to sleep on stone floors.

Slowly, he stood up. He saw Riku sitting in a corner. He walked over, and sat down next to him. "I can't believe this," said Riku, quietly. "That we're all getting involved in something else, so soon after getting home."

"Yeah," muttered Sora.

He looked down. "That thing was going to kill her," he said. "It really would have, too."

"What I want to know is why it wants us so badly," said Riku. "What's it up to? Why did it bring us here?"

"Where exactly is 'here,' anyway?" Sora wondered.

Riku shrugged. "No idea."

Suddenly, pounding could be heard on the other side of one of the walls. Sora ran over to that wall. "Hey! Who's there?" he shouted.

The pounding stopped. "Who're you?" asked a vaguely familiar voice.

"Sora, and my friend Riku is here too. Who are YOU?"

"Sora?" said the voice. "It's me, Cloud. The thing brought you here too?"

"You mean that shadowy silhouette looking thing? Yeah."

But before either one could say anything else, the shadow thing appeared in Sora and Riku's cell. "It's good to see you again," the thing said.

"You!" cried Riku.

"Yes, it's me again. Don't worry, you won't be in these cells much longer. Soon, you'll all be moved to another part of this place. It's much roomier, and much more comfortable. And you'll be able to see everyone else. Aren't you glad of that?"

Sora glared at the thing. "What do you want, anyway? Why did you bring us here?"

"I can't tell you that. At least, not yet. I'm only here to let your know that your friend – the girl you were with when I picked you up – is looking for you, with some new friends. She thinks that she can save you. What a fool."

Sora stared. "Kairi's looking for us?"

"That's right. But unfortunately for her, she'll never find you."

"No…" whispered Riku. "She can't be coming here. There's no way she'll survive!"

"You think too little of her," the thing said. "What she lacks in skill and experience, she makes up for in sheer force of will. Though she'll never reach you, she'll still do better than you think."

The thing looked over at Sora. "She cares so much for her friends. Especially you. You should have seen her after we left. She was so upset. If those two worthless animals hadn't come looking for you, she could have done nothing. Consider yourselves lucky."

"Wait…worthless animals?" asked Riku.

"Not this boy's friends, if that's what you were thinking. And not that king, either. No, the queen and her duck friend went to find you, because those you were thinking of are here as well. But all they found was her. The three of them found two others in Hollow Bastion, and are currently headed towards the Great Forest. No, you won't remember that place, as you've never been there. Now, goodbye."

"Wait!" cried Sora.

But the thing was already gone.


	5. Chapter Five: A Brief Detour

When the five of them landed, they discovered that they'd changed. "Don't panic," said Kairi. "Sora says this happens sometimes, in some places."

She looked down at herself. She seemed to have taken on the form of a young deer. "But I'm not sure I like this…"

"Tell me about it," groaned Terra, who was now a green rabbit. "How am I supposed to MOVE?"

"This is cool!" squealed Rydia. She'd taken the form of a light green squirrel, and was running around in circles.

Minnie and Daisy were still a mouse and a duck, but the humanoid aspects they had were gone, leaving them with purely animal forms. "Kairi?" asked Minnie. "Don't step on me."

Kairi laughed. "Stay close to someone else. I'll keep an eye on you."

Suddenly, Terra realized something. "Rydia, you and I don't have any sort of weapons!" she cried. "How are we supposed to…"

All of a sudden, they heard something screaming. The five of them ran towards the sound, and saw a young deer surrounded by Shadows.

The group ran over and started attacking. Kairi summoned her Keyblade, holding it in her mouth like Sora said he'd done in the cases where he didn't have hands. She ran into the group, and started attacking.

Terra and Rydia stayed back a little, not sure what to do. But when a Shadow went after Rydia, Terra sprang into action, kicking and biting the Heartless until it vanished.

Minnie started making tiny balls of light energy, and firing them at the Heartless. They were surprisingly effective, despite their size.

After a short while, all the Heartless were gone. The deer stood in place, trembling. Kairi walked up to him. "Are you OK?" she asked.

He nodded. "I'm fine. I don't think I've seen any of you before. You're not from around here, are you?"

"No," said Kairi. "We're here looking for some friends of ours. But I don't think they're here.

The other deer smiled. "I hope you find them, then."

* * *

"Why did we leave so soon?" asked Rydia, when they were back on the ship.

"I don't think they were there," said Terra. "There didn't seem to be much there at all, really."

They plotted their course for the nearest bunch of worlds. "Why don't all of you sit back until we get there?" suggested Daisy.

Kairi went over and took a look at the map. "Hey, Olympus Colosseum is there!" she noted. "Sora knows people there. Maybe we should head over, and see what we find."

"Good idea," said Daisy.

She adjusted the controls, until they were headed towards the Colosseum.

Rydia showed up out of nowhere. "A colosseum?" she asked. "Do they hold battles there? Are we going to compete?"

Kairi shrugged. "Maybe. Do you want to?"

Terra walked up. "No. Rydia, it's too dangerous. If we do that, you'll have to sit out."

"No fair!" exclaimed Rydia. "I'm part of the group too! If we enter a competition, I come too."

Terra looked at Kairi. "What do you think?" she asked.

"I say that IF we do that, she should too," said Kairi. "She has a point. We're all in this together, right? Whatever we do, she does too. But I promise I'll keep an eye on her."

Terra sighed. "I suppose. But yes, make sure she's being careful. She seems to think she can do anything, and that's just not realistic."

"I understand."

Kairi walked off to another room, and sat down. "Wait a sec," said Terra.

Kairi looked up to see Terra and Rydia standing in the doorway. "You owe us an explanation about that other girl we saw earlier," said Rydia.

The two of them sat down nearby. Kairi was hesitant about telling them, but they finally convinced her. "First of all, do you know what a Nobody is?" she asked.

"I think so," said Terra. "They're those black and white things you see around town every now and then, right? Isn't it that when someone with a strong heart and will becomes a Heartless, a Nobody is created? And most of them look like weird creatures, but some look like people…right?"

"Exactly," said Kairi. "That girl – Namine – is my Nobody."

Rydia gave Kairi a funny look. "But you're not a Heartless."

"I'm not. But I did lose my heart, once. And when I returned to normal, Namine was created. We met, much later, and sort of…joined together. Became one. That's why she's with me."

"You mean that you share the same body?" asked Terra.

Kairi nodded. "Body and heart, yes. I said that before, didn't I?"

"Weird," said Rydia. "What's it like having someone share your body, anyway?"

"It was strange at first, but now I'm used to it," said Kairi. "It's kinda nice, sometimes. You always have someone to talk to, so you're never lonely. But like I said, it took some getting used to."

"It's still strange," said Terra. "Has this ever happened before? I mean, a human and their Nobody existing at the same time?"

"Only one other time," said Kairi. "My friend, Sora…it's the same with him. It's sort of a long story. You still want to hear it?"

"Of course!" exclaimed Rydia.

* * *

After quite a bit of talking, Daisy called to them from the cockpit. "We're here," she said. "We'd better go."


	6. Chapter Six: A Search Gone Wrong

When the five of them beamed down, they found themselves in front of a huge arena. "Wow," remarked Minnie. "I'd heard that this place was ruined not too long ago. It's good to see that it's been repaired so quickly."

Rydia looked behind them, and saw a staircase surrounded by purple smoke. "What's that?" she asked.

Terra pulled her away. "Don't know, but it doesn't look good. You should probably stay away."

Kairi walked up through the huge double doors, and the rest of the group followed.

When they went inside, the room appeared empty. "Hello?" said Kairi. "Anyone there?"

She walked over to the next set of doors, into the arena. "Hello?"

Then she noticed two people sitting in the seating area. She ran up the stairs, and saw a man and a woman. The woman looked over at them. "Are you ladies here to compete?" she asked.

"We're really not sure," said Minnie.

The man got up and took a look at Daisy. "You remind me of a friend," he remarked. "Donald, was it?" He was always with those other two. Sora and Goofy. Are the two of you related?"

Daisy laughed. "We're not, but I do know him. We've been dating for years."

Kairi stepped forward. "Sora is one of my best friends," she explained.

The man smiled. "Well, he's a good kid, so I'm sure you must be the same. It's nice to meet you."

"Hey, I have a question," blurted Rydia. "What does that staircase outside the Colosseum lead to?"

"That would be the way to the Underworld," the woman said. "The land of the dead. You don't want to mess around there. The god who runs it…let's just say you don't want to get involved with him. We've been meaning to block that staircase, but we've never gotten around to it. Anyway, you should probably stay away."

She paused, then snapped her fingers. She looked at the man. "We didn't tell them our names!" she said, grinning.

He smiled back, then turned to the group. "I'm Hercules. And this is…"

"Call me Meg," the woman interrupted. "We don't run this place, but the guy who does is out doing something else. So we're taking care of things for the moment."

Kairi smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"So," said Terra," do we want to enter a tournament?"

"We ought to try. We need practice," said Daisy.

"Well then, we'll need your names," said Hercules.

"I'm Kairi," said Kairi.

"Minnie"

"Daisy"

"Terra," said Terra. "And this is…"

She looked around. "Where's Rydia?"

* * *

Rydia ran down the staircase as fast as her little twelve-year old legs could carry her. She ran through the dark, ominous cave. Most girls her age would be terrified, and would never have made it this far. But Rydia was braver than most, and she had a mission. She was here for a reason: to find her mother.

She'd already had to fight a few Heartless on the way there, but that was no big deal. They weren't very strong ones. A few spells and they were toast. She'd never even had to use her stones.

She ran further and further in the cave. She knew that the god the woman had mentioned had to be here somewhere. She decided that she would ask him for help. Surely he'd be able to help her find her mom.

Finally, she reached a large door. With all her strength, she pushed it open.

There, sitting on a stone throne, was most likely the strangest figure she'd ever seen. It had the shape of a man, and it appeared to be wearing a long bluish robe. Although she wasn't sure if it was a robe or part of his body. He had a head covered with bluish flames. And right now, he appeared to be asleep.

Rydia walked up to him. "Excuse me?" she asked.

Nothing. "EXCUSE ME!" she shouted.

He jumped. "What, WHAT?" he groaned.

Then he saw Rydia. "Are you the god of the Underworld?" she asked.

"Yeah. Are you new here?"

He pointed left. "Orientation for the newly dead is that way, kid. I don't have time for questions."

"I'm not dead," she said.

He glared at her. "Then what the hell are you DOING here?"

Rydia was getting to be very afraid at this point. But she stood up straight and faced him. "I'm looking for my mother."

The god laughed. "Your mom? Look, I can tell you're not from around here. Probably not even from this world. Right, kid?"

Rydia nodded. "Well, then, there's your problem! See, with a few exceptions, only the people who die in this world come here. Who knows what happens to everyone else."

Rydia looked down. "So Mom's not here?"

"Nope."

Rydia started to walk away. "OK then, guess I'll be going."

She started to make her way towards the door, but the god materialized in front of her. "Where do you think you're going?" he growled.

Rydia looked up at him. She had a very bad feeling about this. "Out," she said, as calmly as she could.

"No, you're not going anywhere. You came here on your own, against what everyone else said. Should've known there'd be a catch. Once you come in, well, if I have my way, you don't go back out. Should've listened to the rest of them."

Rydia backed up a bit. "No fair!" she cried.

"Fair!" he shouted. "I am Hades, god of the Underworld. I make the rules around here!"

Rydia screamed. She pulled one of her stones, a dull golden brown one, and held it up. "Chocobo! Go find the rest of the group!" she cried.

In an explosion of feathers, a large yellow bird appeared. It made a sort of squawking noise, and ran out the door.

Rydia looked at Hades. "There's no way I'm staying here. You can't make me. I'll show you!"

Hades burst out laughing. "Are you forgetting that I'm a god?" he said. "But whatever. If you want a fight, I'll give you one."

* * *

"Are you sure that this is the right way?" shouted Kairi.

She, Minnie, and Daisy were all running after Terra, through the corridors of the Underworld. "I don't know," Terra shouted back. "But I heard something over here, so we might as well try."

Suddenly, the yellow bird ran up to them. It started making funny noises, and pointing with its feet. Then it squawked, and started running.

"This is Rydia's!" cried Terra. "It's Chocobo, one of her summons. She must be that way. Follow the bird!"

They ran down the hallways, through tunnels, until they got to the same doors that Rydia had gone through. The bird disappeared, and Terra pushed open the door.

Rydia and Hades were on the other side, glaring at each other. Rydia looked exhausted, and Hades was grinning. "Looks like your friends are here," he laughed. "Guess you'll have some company."

Rydia looked at Terra, ashamed. "I thought that Mom might be here," she said, looking like she was about to cry.

Terra gave Hades a death glare. "What did you do to her?" she demanded.

"Nothing. She came down here, and I have a policy that whatever comes here, stays here. Including little girls looking for their mommies."

Terra glared at him. "Bastard," she hissed. "Her mother died when she was little. Is it so bad that she wanted to see her?"

"I told her, her mom's not here. For the most part, only people who die in this world come here. Occasionally, we get a wandering soul from somewhere else, but mostly it's just residents."

"So her mom's not here?" Minnie interrupted.

"Nope," said Hades. "And like I said, those who come here don't leave. So it looks like all of you are going to stay here with her."

"No way!" shouted Kairi.

With that, she ran up to him, and began whacking him with her Keyblade. He jumped back and stared at her. "That weapon…" he mused. "It's like the one that brat has! You his girlfriend or something?"

"Just his friend," she answered.

He grinned. "Well, your little friend has caused me far too much trouble. All the more reason not to let you leave. Isn't that the perfect revenge?"

He tossed a fireball at Kairi, but Terra hit it with a Blizzard spell, and it vanished. Kairi stepped back a bit, then she ran at him and hit him several times before he knocked her away.

Hades grinned. "You girls honestly think you can beat a god? You're as stupid as this kid! Do your worst!"

Daisy ran over to Kairi and healed her, erasing the little damage she'd taken. Minnie summoned several light balls, and began flinging them at Hades. He dodged most of them, but the last few hit him hard.

Rydia took a good look at the situation. She knew she should probably summon something, but she wasn't sure what. She'd already used Chocobo to bring the others to her. What now?

She decided she'd just use magic right now. She started to cast Blizzard, but Hades materialized in front of her and hit her with a fiery punch.

He was about to attack again, but Terra hit him from behind with her sword. Slowly, Rydia got back up, and began striking him with her whip.

Hades concentrated, then a wave of power surrounded him, knocking Terra and Rydia down.

Kairi tried to sneak up behind him, but he sent a wave of flames at her, keeping her away.

Daisy and Minnie tried to get back over to Terra and Rydia, but they were quickly knocked back by another fire wall. Hades ran over to them, and started attacking viciously, leaving them no time to react.

Rydia stood up slowly. She saw Kairi trying to protect the others, but being kept away as well. She knew she had to do something, but she wasn't sure what.

Then, she thought of the perfect plan. It would take a lot of energy to summon the beast she had in mind, but it would be worth it if she could pull it off. She stepped back into a corner, making sure that Hades didn't notice her. Then, she reached into her bag, and pulled out a deep blue stone. She held it up, focusing hard. "Leviathan!" she shouted.

At first, nothing happened. Then, a stream of water began to flow out of nowhere. More and more water appeared, swirling together into an enormous wheel. Then, a creature burst out of the wheel.

It was an enormous sea serpent, easily forty or fifty feet long, probably longer. It reared up like a snake about to strike, then charged at Hades.

A torrent of water poured out its mouth, surrounding Hades and at the same time bringing Kairi, Minnie, and Daisy back to the others.

The three of them sat there, breathing heavily. "Are you alright?" asked Terra.

"Not really," said Kairi. "But right now, we just need to get out of here. Daisy can help us after we've escaped."

Rydia ran towards the door. "This is our chance! Everyone, Leviathan will keep Hades away. We need to go!"

The five of them ran. Out the door, through the paths and corridors, and back out to the Colosseum.

Once they were safely outside, they sat down to catch their breath. "That was close," muttered Kairi.

As promised, Daisy inspected them for any wounds, and healed the ones she found. Terra looked over at Rydia. "What about Leviathan?" she asked. "Did you get him back?"

"Sure did," said Rydia.

She pulled out the same blue stone. "When they're fighting with you, the stone turns pale. When they come back, it's colorful. See? The stone is blue again."

For a while, everyone was silent. "I don't think he'll bother pursuing us out here," said Daisy. "I don't think he'd be as powerful outside his domain. Besides, we're probably not worth the trouble."

Terra looked upset. "Rydia, don't EVER do something like that again!" she shouted. "You could have got us all killed! I would have thought you'd know better."

Rydia looked down. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I-I thought I could see Mom. I wanted to show her how much I've grown. How strong I've become. How I've been doing without her. That's all."

Minnie looked over at her. "But please, think about what you do before you do it. Be more careful next time, OK?"

Rydia looked irritated. "That's all Terra ever tells me! Be careful, look before you leap. I know that already! I'm sick of it! Can't you see that I'm trying? I think you need to trust me sometimes. I'm not stupid."

"Sorry…" said Kairi. "I understand. Sometimes, people care about you too much. They tell you to stay behind, because they can't stand the thought of losing you. But what they forget is that they need to be careful, too, because you worry just as much about them. Sometimes, they need to stop trying to shelter you. I understand, Rydia. I really do."

Rydia smiled. "Thanks."

Terra sighed. "I know. But I can't help but worry. I know you're a part of the group, but you're like the sister I never had. It's hard to see you out there, risking your life along with the rest of us."

"But Terra, it's the same for me! Don't you get it? I don't want you to get hurt either!" cried Rydia.

Terra smiled sadly. "I know. How about this: I'll protect you if you do the same for me. Is that alright?"

Rydia smiled back. "OK."

Daisy looked over at Rydia. "Listen. You're a very brave girl, the sort that anyone would be proud of. I'm sure that wherever your mother is that she's watching you grow and learn. I'm sure she's very proud of you."

Rydia looked surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. Any mother would be glad to have a daughter like you."

"Thanks," said Rydia, smiling.

"So, are we going to enter a tournament after all?" asked Minnie.

"Probably not," answered Kairi. "I think our little adventure was enough for today."

"You're probably right," said Terra. "Let's go."

As they began to leave, Kairi's mind began to wander. _Namine?_

_What is it?_

_Do you think Sora and Riku will be proud of me? You know, when I find them. Do you think so?_

Namine thought for a moment. _I think so. I think they'll be glad to know you care enough to look for them._

_But they already know that I care._

_True. But I think that they'll be glad to see it proven. _

_I hope so._


	7. Chapter Seven: A Strange Sort of Prison

"So…what were your names again? Sora and Riku, was it? These will be your rooms while you are here."

The thing gestured to two rooms right next to each other. "You may choose who gets which. I will go take the others to their rooms now.

It disappeared, leaving Sora and Riku alone. "So wait," Sora said, confused. "If we're his prisoners, then why are we getting nice rooms like this?"

Riku shrugged. "Who knows? Anyway, I'm not complaining. They're better than jail cells."

"That's for sure."

Riku walked off into the room on the left. After a while, "This one's mine!" he shouted.

Not really caring what room he got, Sora entered the other room. He looked around. It was a plain but comfortable looking room, containing a bed, a desk, a dresser, a lamp, and a few other things. It was painted a light reddish-brown, and it seemed nice enough.

After a bit more looking around, he sat down on the bed. Shortly after, he noticed Roxas (who had been asleep) waking up. _Hey, _he said.

Roxas yawned. _Looks like we're out of the jail cells, huh?_

_Yeah. Wonder why he's keeping prisoners in nice rooms? You wouldn't think he'd care if we were comfortable or not._

_I don't know._

Both were silent. _Looks like you slept well, _said Sora.

_Yeah. Unlike you, I don't need to worry about hard stone floors. It was nice in here._

_Lucky you. Hey, what's it like where you are, anyway? I don't think you've ever told me._

Roxas thought for a moment. _It changes. My guess is that it depends on your mood and what you're thinking about. Sometimes it's a beach, like your home. Sometimes it looks like Twilight Town. Once in a while, it looks like The World that Never Was, or the places you've visited. And sometimes, it's just…blank. All black. So it depends._

_Interesting. _

Again, both were quiet. _You're worried about something, aren't you? _Roxas asked.

_Yeah. It's just…Kairi's coming after us. Apparently, she's not alone, but what if something happens to her? Or what if she does make it here? Whatever brought us here clearly wouldn't hesitate to kill her. I just..._

Sora paused. _Riku and I had been teaching her how to fight, but we barely taught her anything. I'm not sure she'll make it. Do you think that's how she felt, knowing I was always in danger?_

_Maybe, _said Roxas. _But honestly, she's stronger than you might think. Namine's said that she's got a strong will, and that she's tougher than she looks. Maybe she can make it. _

_Maybe…_

_Come on, Sora. Have some faith. You're usually such an optimist._

_I know. It's just…Roxas, I love her. If she died trying to save me, I don't know how I'd…_

He stopped. _Anyway, I think I need to rest._

* * *

Meanwhile, in the other room, Riku was thinking about the situation. Clearly, he and Sora weren't the only ones that the shadowy thing was keeping prisoner. Cloud had been in the other cell, and the thing had mentioned some of Sora's friends.

Maybe if he could find some of them, they could figure out what that thing was planning.


	8. Chapter Eight: Twilight Town

That night, everyone had just slept on the ship. There were no beds, but there were chairs, and Terra had found some cushions to use a pillows. It hadn't been the best night's sleep they'd had, but it was enough.

In the morning, the group discussed where to go next. "Let's see," said Daisy, looking at the map. "We could try…ummm…well, Halloween Town is right over there."

"But would they really be there?" asked Minnie.

"No, but we could see if anything strange has been happening there."

"I'd rather not."

Kairi pointed to a spot on the map. "There's Twilight Town," she said. "I know people there. We ought to try it."

"Sounds good," agreed Terra. "I've heard it's a nice place."

Kairi looked over at the others. "That OK?"

Minnie nodded. "Fine with me."

"Then let's go."

* * *

It wasn't a very long flight to Twilight Town. Once they warped down, they didn't notice anything unusual. "It looks just the same as it did last time I was here," remarked Kairi.

Rydia looked up at her. "So didn't you say you had friends here?" she asked.

"Yeah. Maybe I should go to their hangout spot and ask them what's been going on."

So the five of them walked through town, with Kairi leading the way. Suddenly, "Look!" cried Rydia.

She pointed to an ice cream shop. "Can we get some?" she asked Terra.

Terra sighed. "I suppose. Kairi, is that OK with you?"

Kairi shrugged. "OK."

* * *

Shortly after, the group was sitting at a table, enjoying their ice cream. Suddenly,t he door opened, and two people walked in. One was a girl with brown hair. She wore an orange flowered shirt, and tan capris. The other was a chubby boy with black hair and a headband, who was wearing what looked like a basketball jersey.

Kairi recognized them immediately. "Hey!" she shouted.

The girl looked over at her. "Kairi?"

She smiled, and ran over to their table. The boy followed. "So what're you doing back here?" he asked. "You live a long way away, don't you? What brought you here?"

The girl noticed the others. "Who are they?" she asked.

"Hey, one question at a time," laughed Kairi. "These are some new friends of mine."

She pointed to them as she said their names. "Minnie, Daisy, Terra, and Rydia."

Rydia smiled and waved. "Hi!"

The girl smiled back. "Well, I'm Olette. He's Pence. Nice to meet all of you."

Suddenly, Kairi noticed something. "Hey, where's Hayner?" she asked.

"Who?" asked Terra.

"A friend of theirs. He's always with them. I just noticed that right now, he's not."

Olette looked down, appearing as if she was about to cry. Pence looked at her, then at Kairi. "We don't know where he is," he explained. "A few days ago, he just…disappeared. His parents went to wake him up in the morning, and he wasn't there. The police are looking for him, but they haven't found a thing. No one knows where he went.

He looked upset. "We're really worried, but we can't do anything. All we can do is wait."

Kairi looked down. "Guess we've got something in common, then."

Olette looked up. "What do you mean?" she asked.

The group began to explain. First about what had happened at the castle, then about the incident at the island. They they told about their journey to find everyone.

"So…wait," said Pence. "Kairi, you're saying that something came to your home, and took Sora and Riku? And you and these guys…"

He gestured to the rest of the group. "…are looking for them?"

"Them, and some other friends of theirs," said Daisy. "What else could we do? We can't just _leave_ them with that thing, can we?"

"I like the way you think," said Olette. "Do you think that maybe, you know, if you find them, that you could save Hayner too?"

"You think we wouldn't?" exclaimed Rydia. "We'll save everyone that that thing has. Everyone!"

Olette smiled. "Thanks. That's really sweet of you."

Minnie pointed to the counter. "Weren't you going to get some ice cream?" she asked.

* * *

Meanwhile, Riku has left his room, and was looking around the "prison." So far, he hadn't found anything. The whole floor seemed to be empty.

He walked along the hall, and finally, he found a large door. He tried to open it, but it was locked. So he summoned Way to Dawn, and unlocked it.

Behind the door was a staircase leading downward. Riku walked down the stairs, and found several doors. He walked over to the first one on the right, and found a room similar to his. There was a boy sitting on the bed, and he appeared to be listening to music.

He had spiky orange hair, and was wearing a black and purple vest/jacket thing, as well as tan shorts and an oversized pair of purple headphones.

"Hey," said Riku.

The boy didn't seem to notice, so Riku came up to him. "Hey," he said, louder.

The boy pressed a button on the MP3 player he wore around his neck, and looked at Riku. "What?" he asked, sounding irritated. "Who're you?"

"Name's Riku," said Riku. "You?"

"Neku," the boy said. "Are you another prisoner?"

"Yeah. Hey, do you know someone named Sora?"

"No."

"Oh. Well, he's a friend of mine, and he has lots of other friends and acquaintances. I was wondering if any of them were here."

"Well, I'm not one of them. I'm only here because some _thing _came out of nowhere and said he'd hurt this girl I just met if I didn't come with him. I mean, I only met her about a week ago. At first, I thought she was annoying, but she kept trying and trying to get to know me better. And over time, she kinda grew on me. She's not that bad, really. Course, I couldn't let him hurt her. Even if I'd still hated her, I wouldn't want that on my conscience. So I came here with him."

He looked at Riku. "So can you leave?"

Riku walked out of the room, and into the one across the hallway. In this room another boy lay down on the bed. When Riku opened the door, he sat up and looked over at him. "Who the heck are you?" he snapped.

This guy had hair that reminded Riku of Lexaeus' hair. Except that it was dirty blonde instead of brown. He wore a tan jacket over a black shirt, and camouflage pants.

Riku had seen him before. He was from Twilight Town, and in the digital one, he'd been a friend of Roxas.

"You know Sora, don't you?" said Riku.

The boy nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"My name's Riku. I'm a good friend of his. And he's here. Do you want to see him?"

"Sure," the boy said.

"OK then. I'll take you to him. By the way, what's your name?"

"Hayner."

"OK. Come on, let's go."

After everyone had finished their ice cream, Kairi decided it was time to go. "Promise me you'll find him," said Olette.

"We will," said Terra. "Once we find him – and everyone else – we'll bring him back here. We promise."

"Thanks," said Pence.

So the group walked away, and warped back up to the ship. "So where should we go next?" asked Kairi.

Terra picked up a map. "What about here?" she asked, pointing to a dot marked "Dawn City."

"Dawn City? Never heard of it," said Daisy.

"It's supposed to be a world where the main focus is a huge city," explained Minnie. "There's supposed to be a lot of interesting people there."

"Let's go," said Terra. "Maybe we'll meet someone there who can help us."

"Mmkay," said Kairi. "We'll go to Dawn City."

* * *

Sora heard a knock on the door. He got up, opened the door, and saw Riku and Hayner standing there.

Almost immediately, he felt a strange feeling inside him. "So you're here too?" he asked, a bit worried.

Hayner nodded. "Guess so. Hey…you don't look too good. Something wrong?"

"I – I don't know."

The strange feeling got stronger. _Roxas, is that you? What're you doing? _Sora asked

_Sora, let me out. Please. I want to talk to him._

_Go ahead. I'm not stopping you._

_Not what I meant. Just…just give me control._

_What?_

_Just for a little while. Please, let me talk to him._

_I don't know…_

_Please! _

_How do I do it?_

_Just relax. I think I know how._

"What's going on," asked Riku.

Sora closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Go ahead," he muttered. "But only for a little while."

There was a flash of light, and when it cleared, Roxas was standing where Sora had been.


	9. Chapter Nine: Dawn City

Riku stood there, looking horrified. Hayner just looked confused.

Roxas stepped forward, looked at Hayner, and smiled. "Nice to see a familiar face here," he said.

Hayner stared at him. "Who are you, and where's Sora?"

"He's fine," said Roxas. "I just wanted to talk to you. See, I…"

He paused. "I knew you, once. Or, I thought I did. It wasn't…wasn't really you. But I guess in a way, I still knew you. It's kind of hard to explain.

Riku looked disgusted. "What are you _doing?_" he shouted.

Roxas looked down. "I only wanted to say hi," he said, sadly. "Sora was OK with it. Really. I'll give him back control soon."

Hayner looked completely confused. "Could someone explain what's going on?"

* * *

Kairi looked down on Dawn City from the ship. "Look at that!" she said, excited. "Let's go!"

Terra looked over at Rydia. "Stay with me at all times, OK?" she said. "It's easy to get lost in the city. If you do get lost, send Chocobo or someone to come find us, and stay where you are. Got that?"

Rydia looked annoyed. "OK, _Mom._"

The group warped down into the city, and looked around. They had appeared in a random alleyway, and they figured they ought to leave.

So they walked for a while, looking around at the buildings. "This is so cool!" said Rydia. "I've never seen buildings this big before."

After a while, they reached a large cluster of buildings. On the nearest one, there was a sign that said "South Dawn High School."

"Looks like we've found a school," said Minnie. "Although it doesn't appear to be in session right now. There's no one here."

"There are some girls over there, though," said Terra, pointing to a ways away.

She was right. Two girls were standing there, talking. One had long pink hair and was wearing a cute hat. She wore stylish clothes. The other girl had short black hair cut in an almost boyish style. She wore glasses and much more conservative clothes.

"Man, Mr. Minamoto is such a jerk!" explained the pink-haired girl. "Worst math teacher ever!"

"I know!" agreed the other girl. "He's awful. He's always using terms that we don't understand, and poking fun at the people who aren't good at math. I'm surprised he hasn't been fired yet, the way he treats us."

The pink-haired girl changed the subject entirely. "Hey Shiki, whatever happened to that boy that you were trying to get to know? I haven't seen him lately."

Shiki thought for a moment. "You mean Neku? I don't know. He hasn't been at school for the last few days. I think I heard someone say he's gone missing, but I don't know for sure. Why do you want to know, Eri?"

Eri smiled. "I dunno, I just thought it was nice of you to try and talk to him. He's such a loner. I never see him around anyone else."

She grinned. "Besides, he's kinda cute."

Kairi walked over to them, and the rest of the group followed. Shiki looked surprised. "Who are you?" she asked, sounding a bit worried.

"Well, I couldn't help overhearing your conversation," said Kairi. "Did you say someone's gone missing?"

"Yeah," said Eri. "Shiki thinks that this guy she was trying to make friends with just disappeared. I don't really know. He's probably just sick or something."

"well, some of our friends have disappeared too," said Kairi. "Do you know of anyone else that you haven't seen lately?"

Eri thought for a moment. "Well, there is Celes' boyfriend. She's been telling everyone that'll listen about how he's gone missing."

"Celes' boyfriend? You mean Locke?" asked Shiki.

Eri nodded. "Yeah, him."

She turned to Kairi. "See, about two years ago, Locke's girlfriend Rachel died in a car crash. Celes was the one who helped him cope. They already knew each other, but not very well. Locke didn't think he'd be able to love again, but then he started to like her. And then they started dating. And now Locke…well, he just vanished. No one knows where he is. Celes is so worried about him."

"And what about Mr. Harvey? You know, our history teacher?" said Shiki. "He's been gone for a long time. Mr. Kiryu says he's sick, but somehow I doubt it."

"Mr. Kiryu?" asked Terra.

"The principal. He's a strange guy, but he's not…he's not mean or anything."

Eri looked at Kairi. "Some of your friends are gone too, huh?" she said. "Can you tell us more?"

Kairi looked at the others. "Sure," she said. "It's a strange story, and it might be hard to believe. But it's true, I swear."

So she explained again, about everything that had happened. By the time she was done, Shiki and Eri were staring. "You're from other worlds?" said Eri.

Shiki looked up. "Well, there are stories about other places, right?" she said, softly. "But I never thought they were true."

"Wonder why this thing is only taking guys?" said Eri.

"Hey, you're right!" remarked Minnie. "As far as we know, there haven't been any women taken. In fact, this shadow thing seems to be using the girls and other people the boys care about to get them to come with it."

"Well, it works," said Daisy. "No one wants the people they care about to get hurt or killed, so they all come."

"I still think that's low," muttered Terra. "It's disgusting."

"Totally," said Rydia.

All of a sudden, a girl walked out from around a corner. She looked to be in her late teens. She wore a white sleeveless shirt, a medium-length green skirt, and a blue headband. She had long, blonde hair. "Excuse me?" she said.

She walked over to them. "I overheard your conversation. My name's Celes. I heard you talking about me and Locke. Do you…do you know where he is?"

Kairi shook her head. "We don't know exactly where he is, but we think we know who took him."

Celes looked upset. "You're after your friends, aren't you?"

Minnie nodded. "Yes."

"I know this may seem like a lot to ask," said Celes. "But please, could you save Locke as well? I'd go with you, but I don't think I'd be much use to you."

Shiki looked at Kairi. "If it's at all possible, could you look for Neku, too? I want to get the chance to get to know him better. We only met a little over a week ago."

Terra looked at Kairi. "Looks like we're getting a lot of requests. Are you sure we can help all these people?"

"We have to," said Kairi. "This thing has taken friends, boyfriends, and husbands from us. We don't even know Neku, or Locke, or Mr. Harvey. But we do know that there are people who care about them."

She pointed to Minnie, then to Daisy, then to Terra and Rydia. "Just as much as you care about King Mickey. Or you, for Donald. Or you two…for each other."

She looked down. "And me, for Sora and Riku. We have to save everyone, or at least try to."

"Well said, Kairi," said Daisy.

Kairi looked over at Shiki, Eri, and Celes. "I promise that we'll find them."

Celes smiled sadly. "Thank you. Locke means everything to me. If he never came back, I don't know what I'd do."

Kairi began to walk away. "Don't worry," she said, smiling. "We can do this. I know it!"

* * *

Once the group was back on the ship, it was almost nighttime. Kairi was about to go to sleep when she noticed footsteps nearby. She sat up and saw Rydia. "What is it?" asked Kairi.

Rydia sad down next to her. "You care a lot about Sora and Riku, don't you?" she said.

"Yeah."

"Do you…well…"

Rydia looked nervous, like she was trying to choose the right words to say. "Do you like them?"

Kairi looked surprised. Then she smiled. "I like Sora," she said. "I like him a lot."

Rydia stared at her. "You like him…_that_ way?"

She lay down again. "On the day before everything changed, I didn't really have feelings for either of them, even though they both liked me. But then, I saw firsthand how much Sora cared about me, what he was willing to do for me. And over time, I started to feel the same way about him."

"But what about Riku?" Rydia said.

"I care about him too. But I don't love him. He's just a really good friend."

Rydia thought for a moment. "Does Sora know you like him?"

"I think so."

"Then why aren't you a couple yet?"

Kairi laughed. "I don't know. I guess that neither of us have been willing to take it that far."

Both of them were silent for a while. "Do you have good friends back home?" asked Kairi.

Rydia nodded. "Yeah. Marlene and Relm are my best friends. But I have others, too. And then there's that boy, Edge. He's Yuffie's cousin, and he's about my age."

She blushed. "I think he likes me."

Kairi smiled. "What are they like?"

"Marlene's younger than me. She's only nine. But she's really sweet, and she's fun to play with. Relm is my age, and she loves to paint. She's always in a good mood. And her grandpa helped Terra teach me magic after my mom died."

She sighed. "I'm going to have a lot to tell them when I get back home. "

"Yeah."

Kairi smiled. "Well, I think you should probably go to bed now, Rydia. It's late."

Rydia stood up, and walked out the door. _She's a cute kid, _said Namine.

_Yeah. She's so nice. I'm glad we met her._

_Me too. _

* * *

"Wait, let me get this straight," said Hayner. "You used to belong to the group that Sora was after. Then you left, and got put in the alternate Twilight Town. You didn't remember anything, and you thought that the virtual versions of my friends and I were your friends. Then everything went crazy, you remembered everything, and now you're _sharing Sora's body?_ That's crazy!"

"Yeah, but it's true," said Roxas. "You know that there are Nobodies, and other worlds. And you know there was a virtual Twilight Town. So why do you have trouble believing this?"

"It's not that I have trouble believing it. It's just weird, that's all. Why did you want to talk to me, anyway? I'm not the guy you knew."

Roxas shrugged. "Dunno, I guess. I just wanted you to know I existed."

"Makes sense."

Meanwhile, while the two of them had been talking, Riku had gone to find the hall with all the rooms. He was trying to find other people. He was beginning to get ideas about how to escape.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Kairi. He just wanted a backup plan in case something happened to her.

It wasn't an easy thing to think about, the idea of her getting hurt or even killed trying to help them. After all, there'd been a time where he really had loved her. A time where he would have – did – do anything for her.

At some point, however, those feelings had disappeared. Sometime during the year when Sora was asleep, he thought. He still cared about her, of course. But he no longer loved her. At least, not in the same way he had before.

Emotions were strange things, he thought. They could drive you to do things that your head would beg you not to. His boredom of his little home had caused him to have a part in destroying it. And his blind love for Kairi had nearly gotten her killed.

He reached the hall, and knocked on the door to Neku's room. A moment later, the other boy answered. "You again," he said, in a voice that made it hard to tell what he was thinking.

"We need to talk," said Riku.

So the two of them sat on the floor. "What do you want?" asked Neku.

"I'm trying to find a way to get everyone out of here," explained Riku. "Can you fight? Can you help in any way?"

"Maybe."

Neku ran over to the bed, and pulled a plastic bag out from under it. He took out a box, and opened it. "I bought these at a pawn shop a few days before the thing found me," he explained. "He caught me trying to figure them out."

Inside the box was a large pile of pins. "I thought maybe I could sell them, or give them out, or something," he said. "They were pretty cheap. But then I found out that wearing them gives you special powers. It's crazy, but it's true."

He pulled a few out, and began to explain them. "This one lets you make fire. This one makes energy bullets. This one lets you shoot lightning, and this one makes icicles. And this one lets you move stuff without touching it. Cool, isn't it?"

"Yeah," said Riku. "That's amazing. You could really help us out."

"Probably."

Riku stood up. "I'll be back," he said. "I haven't figured out the whole plan yet, but when I do I'll fill you in on it."

He walked to the door, then turned back. "By the way, what world are you from?"

"A place called Dawn City. Why?"

"Just wondering."

Riku left the room, and went on to the next one. In this room, there was a guy who appeared to be in his late teens, a year or two older than Riku. He had short, sandy brown hair, and wore a blue headband. He was wearing a white shirt with a blue jacket over it, as well as jeans and brown boots. He looked over at the open door. "Who's there?" he asked.

Riku walked over to him. "My name's Riku. What's yours?"

"Locke."

"I'm trying to find a way to get everyone out of here. Can you fight?"

Locke stared at him. "That's awfully abrupt. You don't even know me, and you're asking me to help you?"

Riku nodded. "Don't you want out of here?"

"Of course! I have a girlfriend back in Dawn City. I'm sure she's worried sick about me. But are you sure you can get us out of here?"

"Maybe."

"Well, to answer your question, I can fight. I've taken some self-defense classes. I'll need a weapon, though, preferably a dagger. I doubt you'll know where to find one."

"I don't."

Locke sighed. "Looks like we're not out just yet."

"Nope. I'm still working on a plan."

"Hey, I just remembered something. You need any locks picked? I'm good at that kind of thing."

"No need. My friend Sora and I both have these weapons that can unlock anything."

Locke stared. "Dude, that's awesome!"

Riku smiled. "Yeah, I guess."

He stood up. "Hey, do you know anyone else here?"

"I don't. Although I did see someone that looked familiar. I think he teaches at my school. Not sure what room he's in, though."

"Thanks. I think I'll go back to Sora's room, and let him know what I'm planning. See you later."

With that, Riku got up and walked out the door.


	10. Chapter Ten: Another Problem

As soon as Kairi and the others were all up, they thought about where to go next. "I say we should go someplace familiar," said Daisy. "Somewhere that Sora and his friends have been to, maybe?"

"Good idea," said Minnie. "That way, we'll know what to expect. Only question is…which one?"

Rydia pointed at a dot marked "Port Royal." "What's this place?" she asked.

"Sora told me that it's an old-fashioned town near the ocean. He says there's pirates, and cursed gold, and – "

"Cool!" exclaimed Rydia.

"No way!" said Terra. "Rydia, pirates aren't 'cool.' They're dangerous!"

"Maybe later," said Kairi.

She took a good look at the map. "How about here?" she said, pointing to Agrabah's spot on the map.

"That's a possibility," said Minnie. "Sora has friends there, right?"

"Sora has friends _everywhere,_" laughed Kairi.

"What's Agrabah like?" asked Terra.

"I've heard that it's a desert kingdom full of magic and mystery," answered Daisy. "That's a good idea. We should go there."

Rydia wasn't so sure. "But I hate it when it's too hot!" she complained. "It's a desert!"

"We'll be fine," said Minnie. "I know a water spell or two. If you get thirsty, I think it's safe to drink. Though, I don't know how good it'll taste…"

Kairi looked at Minnie, Daisy, and their long dresses. "You want something a little better for hot weather?" she asked.

"Good point," said Terra. "You should probably buy something when we get there. Kairi, I think you'll be OK. I'll probably be fine, too. And Rydia, what you're wearing looks OK."

"Alright," said Kairi. "Let's go."

They beamed down behind a building, where, thankfully, no one saw them. "Ugh, it _is_ hot here," groaned Rydia.

"You'll live," said Terra.

The five of them ventured out into the street. This one seemed relatively quiet, with only a few people walking by. So the group kept walking.

The next street they reached was a lot busier. There were several merchants there, selling all kinds of things.

Rydia ran over to one of them, who appeared to be selling little sculptures. "Look at these!" she squealed. "They're so cute!"

She picked up a little sculpture of a cat. "I love it!"

The merchant grinned. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said. "And it's cheap, too. Only – "

But Rydia had already found something else. "These fruits look delicious!" she said, holding up something that vaguely resembled a mango. "I've never seen them before, and I am kinda hungry. How much are they?"

A few moments later, Rydia was munching on the fruit. "It's good!" she said, looking up at Terra. "You should try it."

"I think I'll pass," said Terra.

They walked through the streets, searching for a clothing shop. "Man, these salesmen are awfully pushy, aren't they?" groaned Kairi.

"Well, it's how they make their living," said Minnie.

"Yeah, but still. It's obnoxious. Reminds me of this total tourist trap I went to once, when Mom and Dad and I were on vacation."

"What's a tourist trap?" asked Rydia, who'd just finished her fruit.

Kairi thought for a moment. "It's a place that sounds cool, but really isn't that great. Usually, you end up spending more than you would have liked."

"Ugh," groaned Rydia.

After a while, they finally found a clothing store. Minnie and Daisy ended up each buying a simple cloth dress, Minnie's in a pale pink and Daisy's in white. "Do you have a fitting room?" asked Daisy.

"A fitting room? What's that?" asked the vendor.

"Umm…" started Minnie.

"It's a room where you try on clothes to make sure they fit you," answered Terra.

The vendor shrugged. "These look like they'll fit. Tell you what, if they don't, I'll let you trade them in for another size."

"Thank you," said Minnie.

So they went back to the ship to put them on. Sure enough, they fit perfectly. "Those look really good on you!" exclaimed Terra.

The two of them took a look at each other. "They do," said Daisy. "Looks like we made a good choice."

When they went back down, the scene looked entirely different. The whole street was panicking. The people were screaming, the vendors looked terrified. A few of them were packing up and leaving. There were far less random people on the street than there had been.

Kairi ran up to the clothing seller. "What's going on?" she asked.

"That creature…" the merchant whispered. "It's attacked again."

"What creature?" asked Rydia.

"You don't know? There's this dark monster that's been stealing from the merchants here. It's been attacking without warning, for the past month or so. We don't know why it keeps coming, but it's terrible for business. Fewer and fewer people are coming here, and most of the usual vendors have left."

"Sounds like a big problem," said Terra.

"It sure is. I don't know how much longer I can stick around here. After all, how long will it be until it goes after me?"

The group walked off into an alleyway, and began to discuss the problem. "Do you think this has to do with the creature we're after?" asked Minnie.

"Who cares?" shouted Rydia. "We've got to help them out. It doesn't matter whether it has to do with that guy. If people need our help, we help them!"

"But what about the others?" said Daisy. "We can't waste too much time. We don't know how much time our friends have!"

"True," said Kairi. "But if the people here need us, we can't just forget that. I say we at least investigate what's going on."

"All right…" sighed Daisy.

So they went back to the street, and went up to another merchant. "So…" said Terra. "What do you know about the creature that's been attacking?"

The woman there shrugged. "Not much. All I know is that it appears out of nowhere, attacking people and stealing goods. Then after a while, it goes away. I've never actually seen it, but I know someone who has."

"Who?" asked Kairi.

The woman pointed to the left. "Over that way, a few streets down, there's a fortune-teller who says she's seen it. She even says she knows where it lives."

"Are you serious?" blurted Rydia. "Thanks!"

She turned to Terra. "Let's go!"

The five of them walked down the street, turned left, and walked a few streets down. It was soon clear what they were looking for.

Most of the buildings on the street were simple brown houses. But one of them was painted white. In front of the building were several brightly colored pots, jars, and other interesting objects.

Kairi walked up to the door, and the others followed. She knocked on the door, and waited.

After a few seconds, a middle-aged woman answered the door. She wore what appeared to have once been a simple brown dress. Now, it was adorned with all sorts of strange things, from feathers to beads to what looked like clumps of fur. She wore her long black hair in a braid.

The woman looked irritated. "If you want your fortune told, you'd better have something good to trade," she said. "It doesn't come cheap these days."

Kairi took a deep breath. "That's not what we're here for," she said. "We're here because we've heard that you know about the thing that's been attacking the merchants."

The woman's expression didn't change. "What do you have to give me? You got something?"

The group was silent. "Well, come back when you do," the woman snapped.

She slammed the door, leaving the group frustrated. "What DO we have?" asked Rydia.

"Doesn't sound like she wants cash," said Minnie. "Too bad. That would be easy."

"We could go back to the street where all the vendors were, and then we could buy something," suggested Terra.

"It'd need to be something unusual," said Kairi. "It seems like she knows the merchants. She probably knows what they sell."

But they decided that they had little choice. They went back to the street, and found that more people had come back to sell things.

They looked around for a bit, but couldn't find anything interesting. Then, Terra noticed someone a ways away from the rest of them. He appeared to be selling jewelry.

Terra got the others to come over. "Welcome," said the merchant, a tall, very skinny young man. "Are you interested in any of these?"

Kairi looked over the jewelry, trying to decide what the fortune-teller would want. She finally decided on the most extravagant thing she could see: a large pendant edged with some sort of metal. "That one," she said, pointing.

The man smiled. "Interesting choice."

Soon after, the five of them were back at the woman's door. "Oh, it's you again," she said. "You got something for me? I don't tell fortunes or give gossip without something to trade for it."

Kairi handed her the necklace. The fortune-teller took a good long look at it, turning it over and looking hard at it. Finally, she looked at them. "This'll do," she said. "Come in."

The group followed her into her house. It was lit by a hole in the ceiling, and it was full of more unusual things, even more fascinating than the things outside. Kairi figured that a lot of it was things people had traded her for her services.

The fortune teller pointed to a rug on the floor. "Sit," she said.

Once everyone was seated, the woman began. "So, that creature, hm? I have seen it."

"So we've heard," said Daisy.

"It is a strange thing. The size of a man, but with skin as black as night. Its eyes glow golden, and it wears a brown cloak. It appears out of nowhere, and raids the shops on the streets, and at the bazaar. Whatever object it touches will vanish, any person it touches will be struck with a horrible, deep terror. It takes hours to calm them down."

"Doesn't sound like the thing that's been taking people," Minnie whispered to Daisy.

"I've also heard that you think you know where it lives," said Kairi. "Can you take us there?"

The woman's face went pale. "Of course not! I don't want to be killed!"

She smiled. "But I can tell you. You seem a brave girl, and your friends as well. Perhaps you can get rid of it."

"So where is it?" asked Rydia.

"Go west of the city. If you look closely, there's a stone there somewhere. If you were to move the stone, there would be something there. But that is all I know. I'm not sure if this is it, but that stone was not there before the creature came."

The woman grinned. "If you can get rid of the creature, I would be glad to read your fortunes. And I'm sure that the merchants would reward you as well, if you so desired."

"Thank you," said Terra. "We'll do our best."


	11. Chapter Eleven: The Cave

"Is this the rock?" asked Rydia, pointing to a large, uninteresting stone sitting in the sand

"Well, let's see what's under it," suggested Terra.

Rydia tried to lift it, but it was too heavy for her. Terra and Kairi both tried, but neither was able to lift it. Then Daisy offered to try.

"No offense, but I don't think you could – "

Before Kairi could finish her sentence, Daisy held out her staff. "Float," she said, in a firm voice.

The rock began to shake. Slowly, it began to rise off the ground. It moved a few feet to the side, and then it lowered back down onto the ground. Daisy gave Kairi a triumphant look. "There," she said. "Now, what were you saying?"

Minnie knelt down on the ground where the rock had been. "There's something here," she noted.

She began to brush away the sand. After a while, a pattern began to show. As more and more of it was revealed, it became recognizable. "Looks like a Heartless symbol," she said.

"Makes sense," said Kairi. "From the fortune-teller's description, I kinda figured that's what the attacker was."

"So how do we open it?" asked Rydia.

"I'm not sure."

Terra, with a bit of effort, flipped the rock over. "Hey, the same symbol is on the bottom of the rock."

"We could try matching up the symbols?" suggested Rydia.

Daisy sighed, and used Float again. She moved the rock over to the symbol on the ground, and carefully lowered it down in a way that both symbols were lined up.

All of a sudden, the ground began to shake. Slowly, a staircase opened up near where the rock and the symbol were. When it was done, the ground stopped shaking.

Minnie looked down the stairs. "Shall we go?"

* * *

When they got down the stairs, they found themselves in a small cave lit by torches. "This is kind of creepy," muttered Daisy.

"This place is cool!" exclaimed Rydia. "What are we waiting for? Let's go find that thing and take it out!"

So they went forward. Soon enough, they ran into a small group of the bandit-looking Heartless. One of them turned around, and pointed to them. All the others turned around as well, staring at them with beady yellow eyes. "Uh oh…" said Minnie.

Terra jumped into action. She grabbed her sword, and ran at the Heartless. She slashed at them, trying to hit them.

Kairi summoned her Keyblade, and charged at them. She tried to attack one of them, but it kept blocking her blows with its sword. But then Rydia knocked it off balance with her whip, and Kairi was able to destroy it.

Minnie and Daisy stood further back. Minnie was using her light magic, trying to distract them. It worked a little too well. One of them began ignoring the others, and ran over to attack. Daisy tried to fend if off with her staff, but it knocked her over and ran at Minnie.

Kairi heard them screaming, and ran over in their direction. She knocked the Heartless away, and started attacking furiously. As soon as it was gone, she ran over to Minnie and Daisy. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I think so," said Minnie.

Daisy stood up and used a healing spell on both of them. Then she used Protect on all three of them. ""This spell will make it so their attacks don't hurt us as much," she explained.

Terra and Rydia were almost finished with the other Heartless. Terra finished them off with a Fire spell, and turned to the others. "There," she said, breathing heavily. "We finished 'em."

Terra used her own healing spells on herself and Rydia. "Is everyone alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," said Kairi.

Terra looked at Rydia. "You OK?"

Rydia took a moment to catch her breath. "Yeah. Let's keep going."

The five of them continued down the tunnel. It seemed like forever until they reached a door. Four of them, in fact. Two on the right, two on the left.

"Which door?" asked Minnie.

"You know what? Let's just pick a random door. Let's try all of them," said Terra.

So they walked through the first door on the right. There wasn't anything inside, except for a few pots.

Kairi looked around the room. "There's nothing here," she said.

Terra walked over to one of the pots, and took a look inside. "Yes there is," she said.

She reached into the pot, and pulled out what appeared to be part of a large ring. "This."

Kairi took a good look at it. "But what is it?" she asked.

"it's only part of something," said Terra. "Maybe the other pieces are in the other rooms."

Rydia wasn't paying attention. She was still looking around. "Yeah, nothing here," she said. "Let's check out the other rooms."

So they left the room, and walked into the one across from it.

This room wasn't so much a room as it was a tunnel. "Hey, I have an idea," said Daisy. "How 'bout we split up? Terra and Rydia can take one door. Minnie and I can take another. And Kairi…"

She looked at Kairi. "Are you OK with going alone?"

Kairi nodded. "I guess. I'll take this hall."

The others left to investigate the other rooms, and Kairi was left alone. She walked down the hall, looking around. The hall just kept going, with nothing much in sight.

_I wonder why a cave full of Heartless would need torches? _Kairi thought.

_Don't ask me, _answered Namine. _To be honest, I don't know much more about them than you do. Let's just keep looking._

_Let's._

Kairi kept walking, still not seeing anything. Until suddenly, she reached a dead end. Confused, she looked around. She still hadn't found anything. How could it just end?

Suddenly, she heard something behind her. She turned around, and saw a large, batlike Heartless in front of her.

Kairi summoned her Keyblade, and the Heartless flew at her. She blocked its attack, and counterattacked. It fell to the ground, but quickly got back up, and dove down at her.

It was attacking very quickly, and Kairi wasn't able to block all of its attacks. It kept attacking, using clawed feet to slash at her. Finally, she knocked it down to the ground, and stabbed at it several times.

It disappeared, leaving behind a piece of the ring. "There," said Kairi.

_That wasn't too hard, _remarked Namine.

All of a sudden, Kairi heard a scream. She ran down the hall, holding tightly to her weapon. When she got back to the doors, she heard it again, coming from the door next to the one she'd just exited.

When she opened the door, she saw Terra, Rydia, and a huge dark shape. "What is that?" she shouted.

"I don't know!" cried Terra. "We took the ring piece, and this thing showed up. We can't hit it! Our attacks go right through it!"

The thing reached out a hand, and knocked her against the wall. "Terra!" shrieked Rydia.

She sent fire flying at the thing, but it didn't seem to have any effect. She looked over at Kairi. "Do something!" she screamed.

Kairi tried to attack the thing, but it didn't do a thing. There was no resistance, it was like hitting air.

The thing released Terra, and went after Kairi. Rydia tried almost all the magic she knew, but nothing seemed to work. Kairi shielded herself with her weapon, prepared for the worst.

It reached out a hand, surrounding her with dark fog. Rydia watched in horror, and Terra ran over to try and help her. When the thing pulled its hand back, Kairi was lying unconscious on the ground.


	12. Chapter Twelve: Confrontation

_That's odd, her mom said, looking out the window. "It's raining. It doesn't usually rain this time of year."_

_Her dad looked up from his book. "The weather report didn't say anything about rain."_

_Kairi looked out the window. Then she remembered something. "Mom, we were building something out on the little island!" she cried. "I need to go put it somewhere safe!"_

_"But you don't want to be out there if the rain gets worse," said her mom._

_But Kairi had already left._

_By the time Kairi got to the island, she knew this wasn't an ordinary storm. But as soon as she stepped out of the rowboat, she knew something was very wrong. _

_Small black creatures were everywhere. They seemed somehow familiar, and she knew they were bad news._

_One of them noticed her, and they all turned towards her. She tried to outrun them, but hse wasn't fast enough. _

_The next thing she knew, she was standing in the secret place in front of Sora. And then after that…she found herself looking through his eyes._

"Kairi, wake up!" shouted Rydia.

Kairi quickly sat up. She saw Terra, Rydia, Minnie, and Daisy standing around her. "What happened?" she asked.

"You passed out after that thing attacked you," said Terra. "But then we figured out that wind magic worked really well against it. So we got rid of it that way."

"Then we came in and found you," said Minnie. "It's a good thing you're alright. You were mumbling for a while, and we were a little worried."

"I was just…"

Kairi paused for a while. "Remembering," she finished.

The five of them walked out of the room. "So we found this ring in the wall," said Minnie.

She pointed to a ring-shaped indent in the wall. "We should probably put our pieces in it."

So they stepped forward, and placed the ring pieces into the indent. The wall began to vibrate, and slowly it sunk into the floor, revealing another pathway. "Let's go," said Kairi.

As they walked down the hall, Kairi heard Namine's voice. _So what exactly were you remembering?_

_The night when the islands were attacked, _answered Kairi.

_Didn't the Heartless get to you? _Namine asked.

_Yeah. I'm not sure why I didn't become one of them. Is it because I'm a Princess of Heart?_

_Yes. You don't have any darkness in your heart, or at least not enough for them to take advantage of. So your heart just left, and…_

_…Ended up with Sora, _Kairi finished.

_Was that anything like…how do I put this…how it is for me now? _asked Namine

_No. For one thing, I barely ever remembered who I was. Usually, it was just when he was thinking about me a lot. Then, for a moment, I'd be all "oh yeah, that's me." It was different._

_Hm._

Finally, after quite a bit of walking, the group reached a large door. They pushed it open, and entered a large room.

The room was huge, and full of all kinds of objects. There was cloth, furniture, pottery, sculptures, jewels, and all sorts of other things. There were carvings and other artwork all over the walls, and the whole room seemed like too much to take in at once.

At the center of the room was what appeared to be something covered by a drab, tattered piece of brown cloth. "Is that the thief?" whispered Rydia.

"Mabye. If it is, I think it's asleep," answered Terra.

"_Do _Heartless sleep?" whispered Daisy.

"I don't know," said Kairi. "We should sneak up on it and catch it by surprise. That way, we'll have the advantage."

So the five of them circled around the lump of cloth, waiting. "OK," said Kairi, quietly. "On my count. One…two…THREE!"

Kairi summoned her Keyblade, and Terra and Rydia pulled out their weapons as well. Minnie started throwing fire, and Daisy stood back, ready to assist everyone.

Almost instantly, the lump of cloth sprang up and revealed that it was, in fact, the thief. It did look like a Heartless. It was about Terra's height; human shaped, but made of darkness. The cloth was its cloak, wrapped and folded around its body. It had long claws, which it presumably used in its attacks.

It jumped out of the way of the groups attacks, doing a few flips before landing. It looked over at Daisy, then ran over and started slashing at her with its claws.

Daisy didn't have much time to respond, but she was eventually able to put up a wall around herself. While it tried to break through the wall, Minnie shot spheres of light at it. Strangely, they didn't seem to have much effect. Either that, or the thief just wasn't flinching. Daisy used Protect on Minnie, and tried to keep her barrier up.

Rydia started attacking furiously with her whip, which she'd somehow enchanted so that it was covered with sharp ice crystals. The thief lashed out at her with its claws, but Rydia jumped out of the ay and kept hitting it.

Daisy finally had to take down the barrier, and the thief noticed. It ran over to her, and knocked her aside. Terra ran over to her and cast a healing spell while the others kept attacking. Kairi just kept going, slashing at the creature over and over again. With so many attackers, the creature was forced to keep switching targets.

Until at one point, it let out an inhuman roar, and set out a blast of energy, knocking all five of its opponents back.

The first one it saw was Kairi, and so it ran over to her and grabbed her. Its grip was tight, ant to the group's amazement, Kairi wasn't even trying to fight back. Minnie ran over and tried to help, but there was a sort of barrier around it that prevented her from attacking.

Everyone watched in horror as the thing reached back a clawed hand, about to do…something. No one knew what, but it couldn't be good.

Frantically, Rydia looked through her bag of stones. She pulled out a yellow stone, and held it up. Focusing all her power on it, she threw it into the air. "Ramuah!" she cried. "Help her!"

There was a flash of light and smoke. When it cleared, an old man stood there. He wore yellow robes, and had grey hair and a long beard. He held a wooden staff. He looked very wise, but very powerful.

He seemed to have caught the thief's attention, as it had stopped what it was doing, dropped Kairi, and ran over to try and attack him.

Ramuah held up his staff, and pointed it at the thief. A bold of lightning flew from his staff, and struck it.

More lightning flew from all directions. Ramuah floated up into the air, and shot a final bolt at the thing, knocking it backwards into the wall.

While Terra and Minnie ran over to attack the thief, Rydia and Daisy ran over to Kairi. She was sitting on the floor, trying to catch her breath. "Are you OK?" asked Daisy.

Kairi took a deep breath and stood up. "I think so," she said. "I don't know what happened. It's like when that thing touched me, it took all my energy from me. I couldn't fight back at all."

"Well, it's a good thing I was able to do something," said Rydia, grinning. "Otherwise, who knows what would have happened."

Kairi smiled. "Thanks."

Suddenly, they heard Terra's voice. "Hey, I think it's almost dead!" she shouted. "C'mon, help us out !"

So the three of them ran over to the Heartless. In a few minutes, it was finished. The five of them sat down to rest. "Wow," said Minnie. "That was tough. Good job, everyone."

"Thanks," said Kairi.

"You know, you've really gotten a lot better in battle," said Terra. "I can tell that it's getting easier for you."

"I guess," said Kairi. "It's still not easy, though. I still have trouble thinking quickly enough to really be effective. I don't know how Sora and Riku do it."

"It'll never really be easy," said Rydia. "But as you go on, you'll be better at it."

"I still get hit so much, though!" Kairi complained. "And then it takes me a while to recover."

"That's totally normal," said Terrra. "But you've got all of us helping you out, right? If you have trouble, we can cover for you."

"Yeah."

Rydia stood up. "Looks like a lot of stuff here was stolen from the merchants," she noted. "We'd better tell them where to find it."

"We should," said Daisy.

She smiled. "And didn't the fortune-teller say she'd read our fortunes for free if we got rid of that thing?"

"She did," said Rydia. "Let's go!"

"So, you really did it, did you?" the fortune teller said, sounding amazed. "Impressive. I suppose that means I owe you a reading. Who wants to go first?"

Rydia looked excited. "Can I?"

The fortune-teller smiled. "Yes. Come on, follow me."

Rydia followed the woman into a small room that was lit by a few candles. It was very small, and in the center was a table and two chairs. "Sit down," the woman said.

Rydia sat down in one of the chairs, and the woman sat down in the other. "Just a moment," she said.

She closed her eyes, and Rydia waited. After a while, the woman began to speak. "I see great magical power in you," she said. "Inherited from your mother, no doubt."

She took a deep breath. "Your gifts are great, and your future seems bright. However, you are reckless. You jump into things without thinking, and you forget the things you have been told. If you continue to walk that path, it may be your downfall. But there are great things ahead for you. I see that you will gain great wisdom as you grow older, and you will be respected and cherished by many. That…is all I can say for now."

She opened her eyes, and stood up. "That's all?" asked Rydia.

"That's all. Please tell the next person to come in."

Ryida walked out to the others. "She's done," she said.

Terra decided to go next. She walked into the room, and sat down.

The woman closed her eyes, and focused. "You are certainly…unique," she said. "Your father, he was quite the enigma, am I right? He appeared in town, and no one knew him. A few years after you were born, he disappeared. Your mother was never the same, and she always seemed strange to you. And after you left home, she died of a mysterious illness."

Terra looked shocked. "How did you – "

She was cut off by the fortune teller, who continued. "And later, you finally found someone to care for…that girl. Rydia."

The fortune-teller smiled. "I see a wonderful life ahead of you. But you must learn to care more for some things, and begin to let go of others. Rydia is growing up. You cannot take care of her forever. Someday, you must learn that. On the other hand, you must learn to appreciate the gift of life. Learn to live for yourself as well as for others.

The woman paused, then opened her eyes. "You may bring in the next one now."

After Minnie and Daisy had gone, it was Kairi's turn. She walked into the room, looking a bit nervous, and sat down. The woman closed her eyes, and concentrated hard.

She was quite for a long time, but finally she spoke. "Ah, the reluctant savior," she said. "Forced into action by something beyond your control. It's not so easy, is it? To fight without your dear friends at your side. I see that you've been troubled by thoughts of them. Especially…that one."

Kairi blushed, and the woman continued. "Yes, your feelings for him are clear. I see a lovely future for the two of you, if your mission succeeds. You must go on, despite the difficulty of what you face. It is not only the fate of your two friends that hangs in the balance, but that of many others, friends and loved ones alike. Despite never having a chance to shine, you are stronger than you realize."

She opened her eyes. "It seems that all of you are finished. I thank you all for your help."

So the five of them left the house, thoughts of the mysterious fortune-teller and her readings filling their minds.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Curiosity

"Wait, how many other people have you found, anyway?" Sora asked.

Riku thought for a moment. "Including Hayner? Three. The other two say they don't know you. Wanna meet them?"

Sora shrugged. "Sure."

So they walked down the hall, unlocked the door, and went over to the next hall. They went over to Locke's room, and opened the door.

He appeared to have been napping, but he quickly sat up when he heard the door open. "Who is it?" he said, sounding a bit worried.

Then he saw Riku and Sora, and smiled. "Hey."

Sora waved. "Hey. What's your name?"

"Locke. Are you Sora?"

"Yup."

"Yeah, Riku told me a bit about you."

Locke walked over to them. "Got any ideas about breaking out of this place?"

"No. I still have no clue what this guy even wants with us," answered Riku. "I was thinking maybe we could all get together and spy on him. Maybe we can figure out what he's planning."

"Wouldn't it be harder to spy if there's a lot of us, though?" said Locke. "Maybe just a few of us could go. I'm pretty good at that kind of thing."

"Not now. I'm showing Sora the other people I've found here. Maybe later."

Locke sat back down on the bed. "Mmkay. I'll let you guys do that."

So the two of them left, and walked into another room.

Neku was sitting on his bed, looking bored. When Sora and Riku walked into the room, he glanced over at them. "Who's he?" he asked, pointing to Sora.

Sora introduced himself. "You already know Riku, don't you?" he said.

"A little," said Neku.

"I just wanted to introduce you two," said Riku. "Do you have anything more to say?"

"No," said Neku. "If you want to escape, don't make me help."

"But don't you want out? What about that girl you were talking about?"

Neku glared at them. "You think she's my girlfriend? She's not! I barely know her, and just because I didn't want her dead doesn't mean we're friends. So leave me alone."

Sora sighed. "We should probably leave."

So the two of them left the room, and opened another door. In this room was a man with long white hair. He wore an outfit that was nice, but not fancy. When the boys entered the room, he stood up. "Are the two of you prisoners of that thing as well?" he asked.

Sora nodded. "What's your name?"

The man walked over and shook Sora's hand. "Cecil Harvey," he said. "Just call me Cecil."

"Wait," said Riku. "Someone else here said they saw one of their teachers. Was that you?"

"Probably. I teach history at South Dawn High."

"Oh, OK."

Sora looked over at Riku. "Have you seen this guy before?"

"Nope," said Riku. "This is the first time I've gone in this room."

"Have you seen anyone that we know? Besides Hayner?"

"No."

Sora looked disappointed. "Oh."

"Are you two trying to figure out what that thing that brought us here is planning?" asked Cecil.

"Actually, we're just trying to escape," Riku said. "But I suppose that it'd be good to know what he's planning."

"I'd have to agree," said Cecil. "You ought to figure that out first.

Sora looked upset. "Our friend is looking for us," he said. "She's with some friends of friends, but we don't know how she's doing. I'm really worried about her, and I'm not sure if she'll make it. We can't spend too long here. We've got to leave as soon as possible!"

"But if you just leave, how do you know that whatever brought us here won't just find you again?" said Cecil. "You'll have to do something about him first, right?"

"Yeah…" said Sora, sadly.

Riku looked towards the door. "Let's go."

The two of them left the room, and began walking back to their own rooms. "Who do you think would be best for spying on that guy?" asked Sora.

"I'm not about to send someone else to do my dirty work," answered Riku. "I'll go myself."

"You sure? You don't know what he'll do if he catches you."

"I'm sure. I've got to know what he's planning."

"If you say so."

Both were silent for a moment. "Why don't you head back to your room?" suggested Riku. "You look kind of tired."

"Yeah, kinda."

Sora walked a ways down the hall. He looked back, and waved. "Good luck!"


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Spying

Riku walked down another hall, wishing that there was some sort of "You are here" map around somewhere. It was awfully hard to navigate this place, and he was often forced to move backward and retrace his steps. He had no idea where he was, and all the rooms looked the same.

Finally, he reached one that looked somewhat different. It was a simple square room with a high ceiling, and surprisingly, it had a window. He ran over and looked out the window.

There was nothing, just a heavy cloud of deep blue mist. Riku was a little disappointed. He'd hoped to find some indication of where the huge building was, but he still had no idea.

He walked through the door on the other side of the room. The next room was a long hall, decorated with all kinds of things. At the end of the hall was a large, elaborate door.

A bit nervous, Riku walked down the hall and unlocked the door. He opened it, and walked into the next room.

It appeared to be a sort of study, with several interesting things on the wall. It was a relatively neat, orderly room, all kinds of devices sitting neatly on the floor. The thing that he noticed first, however, was a painting on the wall. It appeared to be of a young man with messy blonde hair. He looked stern and a little bit cold. Riku wondered why the thing would have a painting like that hanging on the wall. Maybe it was a friend of his? That is, if the thing had friends.

A large wooden shelf full of books was hidden in a corner. Riku walked over to it, and began examining the books. They reminded him of the sort of books that Ansem had owned. Same sort of old, scientific books on odd subjects. He actually thought he saw some of the same books.

Suddenly, he noticed a thin notebook on the top of the bookshelf. He picked it up, and started flipping through it until he found the most recent entry.

_I have begun to collect beings from many worlds. I have found that the best way to convince them to come with me is through threats. A simple "I'll kill your girlfriend" usually is enough. It won't be long, now. I've found a process that will most certainly work. At last, I will be restored to my former self._

It didn't seem to make much sense, but that bit at the end about being "restored to my former self" seemed promising.

Then again, it seemed unusual that the thing wasn't in his room. He'd probably be coming back soon. So Riku decided that he should probably leave.

"You found his journal?" exclaimed Sora. "Why didn't you read the whole thing?"

"I wasn't sure I'd have time," answered Riku. "I didn't want to get caught."

"So why not take it with you?"

"Because he'd probably notice that it was gone. It would've been too risky."

_Hey, Sora? _said Roxas, suddenly.

_What?_

_I've got an idea for next time he wants to spy. It'd be useful to have a way to get back here quickly, right?_

_Yeah?_

_Switch with me, and I'll go. If I needed to, I could warp us back here._

_You sure? I don't know if he'd like the idea._

_It doesn't matter what he thinks of me. He'll agree. He knows it'd be helpful._

_I'll ask._

"What're you thinking about?" asked Riku.

"Oh!" said Sora, a little surprised. "Well…um, Roxas has an idea."

Riku looked a little confused. He still hadn't quite gotten used to the idea of Sora and Roxas the way they were. As much as he'd tried to make it happen, it still seemed so strange. "What's the idea?"

"Well, I don't know what you'd think of this, but…what if he switched with me, and went with you? That way, he could warp you back if he needed to. What do you think?"

Riku sighed. He knew it would be a good idea, but he didn't like the idea of the two of them switching places again. But the benefits outweighed his doubts. "OK. But are you sure? I'd rather have you come with me."

"I can't warp."

"Fine. Next time."


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Anxiety

_Through his eyes, she watched as he picked up the dark Keyblade. She watched in horror as he thrust it into his chest. _

_Almost instantly, she could feel herself being pulled away from him. Soon, she was back in her own body. But she didn't care. She ran over to catch him, but he vanished. Hardly believing what was happening, she watched the little pieces of light fly up into the air and disappear. _

_She had little choice but to leave with his friends._

_But right before they reached the exit, a lone Shadow approached them. Donald tried to get rid of it, but it wouldn't go away. It just stood there, taking his blows. _

_Then it hit her. This wasn't just any heartless, it was him. This was what he'd become._

_Suddenly, more Shadows appeared, looking at her. She didn't care what he was, she had to keep him safe. _

_They leaped at the two of them, and she bent down and wrapped her arms around him. She felt the creatures all over her, but they weren't doing anything. She felt a jolt of power leave her, and there was a flash of light. _

_The Heartless vanished, and when the light cleared, Sora was himself again. She held tightly to him, filled with relief beyond anything words could describe. She wanted this moment to last forever. _

_"Kairi…thank you."

* * *

_

"Hey Kairi, wake up!"

Kairi opened her eyes, and saw Rydia standing next to the sofa she'd been sleeping on. "Time to decide where to go next," said Rydia.

"Just lemme sleep a little longer," mumbled Kairi, lying down again.

Rydia pulled the covers back, and Kairi sat up again. "Don't you want a say in where we go next?" asked Rydia.

"Fine…"

Kairi stood up, and followed Rydia back to the cockpit. Daisy was at the wheel, and Terra and Minnie were standing next to her. "Morning," said Terra. "Do you usually sleep in that late?"

"Sometimes," answered Kairi.

Daisy took out the map. "So we're around here," she said, pointing to a certain area. "We've got a few places to choose from."

"What's this one?" asked Terra, pointing to the dot on the map marked "Atlantica."

"I think Sora said that one was a sort of underwater kingdom," Kairi explained. "There's merpeople and talking fish and stuff. It sounded cool."

"It does," said Minnie. "Let's go there."

"Oh!" said Kairi. "There was this mermaid that Sora met, and her dad is the king of the sea or something. And he knew that Sora and his friends were from another world. So we can be honest with him."

"That's a relief," said Terra.

"Can we go?" asked Rydia. "It sounds awesome!"

"Sure," said Kairi. "I'd love to check it out."

"Wait," said Terra. "I'm assuming this is one of those places where we change physically so we can fit in…right? I mean, we can't breathe underwater."

"Right," said Kairi.

"I bet I'll look really cool!" exclaimed Rydia.

Terra grinned. "I bet you will."

"You guys ready to go now?" asked Daisy. "Or should we wait a little bit first?"

"I wanna go!" shouted Rydia.

Kairi thought for a moment. "Actually, can I have a moment to think?"

"Sure," said Daisy.

Rydia pouted. "I _guess _I can wait."

So Kairi walked back to the room where she'd been sleeping, and sat down. Things were going well for the five of them, but they still knew nothing about what they were after. They had no idea what it was, or what it wanted. Or even if Sora, Riku, and its other prisoners were OK. They hadn't found _anything_ yet, and dwelling on that thought made Kairi discouraged.

She didn't even know if her friends were still alive. Obviously, the thing had wanted them alive…but would it change its mind? There had to be a reason for why it had taken them. But _what was it? _

It had given no clues, no hints as to why it had wanted them. She hadn't even seen it again since all this had started. How were they supposed to know what to do or where to go?

The worst part was that it wasn't just her, Minnie, and Daisy who'd had friends or loved ones taken. What about the girls in Dawn City? What about Aerith, who'd seemed so distraught when she was unable to find Cloud?

She thought about Celes, the girl whose boyfriend had disappeared. The look on her face when they'd told her what might have happened to Locke had stuck in her mind for a long time. And poor Celes had put all her faith in Kairi and her friends. She'd looked so…helpless, being unable to do anything. And Kairi was sure that someone like Celes would hate being helpless. Kairi knew that _she _did.

She thought about the other girls, too. Shiki and Eri. They were lucky. Shiki barely knew the boy who'd been taken. At least she wouldn't be thinking constantly about whether Neku was OK.

_Namine? _Kairi asked.

_Yeah? You seem upset. What's wrong?_

_It's just that the situation seems so hopeless. We've just been going to all these different places, trying to figure something out. But we've still got nothing. It's so frustrating!_

_I really don't know what to say, _Namine answered. _There's nothing I can do. I don't always have all the answers, Kairi._

_I know…_

_But you know what?_

_What? _

_I'm sure that Sora and Riku are alive. I don't think that whatever took them would use such an effective method of getting what it wanted if it was just going to kill them. No, I think it has something else planned._

_I just wish I knew what that "something else" was, _Kairi said, sadly

_You just need to keep going, _answered Namine. _If the others see you like this, it'll bring them down, too. _

_I'll try._

There was a knock on the door. Kairi walked over and opened it. It was Rydia. "Are you done yet?" she said, looking annoyed. "We're all ready to go."

Kairi thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go."


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Discovery

"You sure you want to go _now?_" asked Sora.

"Why not?" replied Riku. "Are you ready?"

Sora shrugged. "I guess."

"You really don't mind switching with Roxas? You don't have to."

"I don't mind."

Riku looked a bit uneasy. "OK then. Go ahead."

Sora took a deep breath. _Go ahead, Roxas. I'm ready._

There was a flash of light, and Sora felt as if the floor had disappeared beneath him. He felt like he was falling, and the room dissolved around him.

As he fell, he was surrounded by images and sounds. He could hear voices all around him, all speaking at once so that he couldn't understand any of them. His surroundings were changing constantly, shifting rapidly through every familiar location he could think of.

Gradually, the speed of his fall slowed, and the images vanished. It was completely black, and he couldn't see anything except for himself. He floated slowly to the ground, and landed there.

He looked around, but there was still nothing. He remembered something that Roxas had said earlier, about how his surroundings would change every now and then. Was this what it was like for him? Alone, kept in his own little corner of Sora's heart? No wonder he always wanted to talk. There wasn't much else to do!

Sora closed his eyes and tried to focus. _Roxas? Can you hear me?_

_Yeah. You OK?_

_I'm fine. How do I see what you're doing?_

_Focus. Can you feel me?_

He could. He sensed the other boy's prescience all around him. _Yeah. What now?_

_Try to focus on connecting yourself to me. It's not that hard. _

It didn't take Sora very long to figure it out. Soon, he found himself connected fully to Roxas' senses. _Good job. Now just watch_

"Come on, let's get going," said Riku.

Sora watched as Roxas followed him out of the room. It felt so weird being able to see and hear everything going on outside, but not being able to have control over anything. He didn't really like it.

_It's alright, _said Roxas. _It won't be for very long. Besides, you'll get used to it.

* * *

_

"You sure you know the way?" asked Roxas

Riku nodded. "I think so. His room was somewhere over here."

The two of them had been walking for a while, but they still hadn't found the thing's room. "How long did it take you to get there the first time?" asked Roxas.

"How should I know? It's not like I have a watch."

Roxas followed Riku through the next door. Still nothing. No sign of the room with the window. "Does anything look familiar?" asked Roxas.

"I think so," answered Riku. "I think we're almost there, but I'm not sure. This place is like a maze."

He was right. Soon enough, they found themselves in the room with the window. "Don't bother looking," said Riku. "There's nothing but mist."

Riku led the way into the large, decorated hall, and into the strange dark being's room. It didn't look any different from when Riku had last seen it. Maybe the thing hadn't been to the room during the time between the two visits.

Roxas walked over to the portrait on the wall. _It reminds me of that portrait by the computer room in Hollow Bastion, _Sora noted. _The one of Xehanort. Do you remember?_

_No, I don't, _answered Roxas

_Never mind, then. But it looked a lot like this one. Maybe it was the same artist?_

"Hey Roxas!" said Riku. "Here's his journal."

Roxas ran over and sat down next to the bookshelf, and Riku opened it to somewhere in the middle, to an entry dated about a year ago.

_I've still discovered nothing. After all these years, there are still no results. I've looked through every book I have, all the ones I can think of that the crazed scientist wrote. But there is still nothing. Nothing that could possibly help me revert to my true self. I was such a fool to volunteer for the experiment. But that man was my idol! How could I have known that I would have been so changed by it?_

They flipped a few pages ahead.

_If only there was a way to hide my strange appearance! If this was so, it would not be so difficult to acquire books._

A few more pages

_I don't understand why nothing I have tried will work! It is as if some part of me is missing, or distorted beyond repair. If only I knew where Ansem was! Perhaps then I could ask him how to change me back._

"Ansem?" asked Roxas. "Wait, he's the one who dressed in red, and helped you out, right? The one who died at the World that Never Was?

"Yeah," said Riku.

"Why would this guy want help from him?" snapped Roxas. "He wouldn't care. He didn't care about the messes he left behind, as long as he achieved his goals."

"You didn't know him," said Riku.

"I knew enough! He didn't care at all what happened to me. He didn't really care about Sora, either. He just wanted to use him to destroy Organization XIII."

"Hey," said Riku, coldly. "You don't know that."

"And you know what else?" said Roxas, angrily. "He didn't care about Namine, either. She helped him. She worked hard for him, and how did he repay her?"

Riku was silent. "Tell me!" shouted Roxas. "What did he tell you to do?"

"Kill her," said Riku, irritated.

"Exactly! He was more heartless than either of us ever was!"

"But I didn't do that," said Riku. "I told him that if he wanted her dead, he could do it himself. And he never did."

"It's not about whether you did it or not. It's about the fact that he asked you to! Just because she'd done all she could, he thought that she no longer had a right to live. Oh wait, scratch that. She never had a right to exist in the first place!"

Roxas was silent for a moment. After a while, he calmed down a little. "I just…"

His body relaxed, and he looked down. "You're right. I didn't know him. But I knew enough."

"Yeah," said Riku. "I see why you didn't like him. But he wasn't all bad."

"You can't change my mind."

"I'm not trying to."

Riku flipped several pages ahead in the journal. "Check this out," he said.

_I think I've finally discovered a way to save myself. It's just a hypothesis, but it could work. The key is life energy. If I can find a way to use it, perhaps there will be a way. Here's how it will work. _

But before they could read any more, they heard footsteps coming from the hall. "Make a portal!" said Riku, sharply. "We've got to get out of here!"

Roxas stood up quickly. He held out his hand, and a dark portal appeared in front of them. "Come on!" he said.

Riku put the journal back where he'd found it, and ran though the portal. Roxas followed him, and the portal closed.

* * *

"So here's what I've gathered from what we saw," said Riku.

Roxas had switched back with Sora, and the two of them were sitting in Riku's room. "It seems like he wasn't always the way he is now. He mentioned an experiment of some sort. Maybe it didn't work?"

"And wasn't there something about a solution? Something about life energy?" asked Sora.

"Yeah. But we didn't finish reading that part."

"You think that's why he brought us here?"

"It could be."

"What does he mean by life energy?"

"How should I know?"

"Well, whatever it means, it doesn't sound good. I doubt he's planning on doing anything nice to us."

Both boys were quiet. "Hey!" said Sora. "Maybe he was a regular person at some point. Maybe the experiment he was talking about went wrong, and made him look all dark like he is."

"That's what I was thinking," said Riku. "It sounds like he's really desperate to change back."

"But where does life energy come into the picture?"

"I told you, I don't know anything about that."

"You spent a year with a scientist who studied all sorts of weird stuff like that. You've got to know something, right?"

"I don't. Not on that subject. I've never even heard the term used outside bad science fiction novels. Quit asking me, OK?"

Sora looked disappointed. "Fine."

He paused. "I think I've had enough of this for now."

"Alright then. I'll leave you alone," said Riku.

Sora left the room.


	17. Chapter Seventeen: The Sea King

Really, REALLY sorry for not updating in so long. I'm kind of weird when it comes to writing stories. I have a ton of stories going all the time, and I work on the ones I feel like working on. I'd been working on this chapter a bit at a time, but it took me a while before I really got back into writing it. I just recently finished this chapter. Again, sorry it took so long, and if you're still watching this fic, thank you for being patient. Expect to see more soon, as I'm now in a better space to write this.

* * *

"This is awesome!" exclaimed Kairi.

She looked around at her friends, then began to examine herself.

When they'd beamed down into Atlantica, the changes had occurred naturally. Kairi appeared to be a pretty average-looking mermaid, with a pink tail. She wore something that resembled a white bikini top, but it was made of some kind of rubbery material that worked underwater. As strange as she felt, she was still excited about being here.

She looked over at the others. Terra had a very pretty dark green tail with two smaller fins on the sides. She wore a lavender seashell bra, and her usual green ponytail was held back with a strand of a feathery seaweed-like material. Rydia had a light green fish tail, with the fin at the end being a golden yellow. Her bag of stones had become something made of a golden scaly material that could have easily been fish skin, and it was tied around her waist with some kind of greenish-brown rope. A thick piece of something was wrapped around her chest.

Minnie had a smaller fish tail, red and white, that looked like it belonged to a clownfish. Daisy, much like her boyfriend, had become half-octopus, with the lower part being a pale purple. Both of them wore short, loose dresses made of some kind of gauzy material that Kairi had never seen before.

Rydia was trying to practice swimming. "This is hard," she said, frustrated.

Daisy was having even more trouble. "How's this supposed to work?"

Kairi, however, had figured it out pretty quickly. She hardly looked graceful, but she was able to get around. She still felt extremely awkward, however, and figured that she and her companions would look ridiculous to anyone passing by.

All of a sudden, a school of small fish passed by. Several voices could be heard speaking at once. "Look at them!" said one voice.

"They look silly," said another

"What's wrong with them?"

"Stupid."

They all giggled. Kairi looked horribly embarrassed, and Rydia was furious. Terra finally spoke up. "Cut it out!" she shouted.

"Swimming like that, at their age?"

"What's your problem?"

"We're only being honest."

Laughing, the fish swam away. "How rude," remarked Minnie.

"Forget them," said Kairi. "We need to find...oh, what was his name…the guy who rules this place."

"But where are we going to _find _him?" asked Rydia. "We have no idea where he is!"

"We'll just have to keep looking," said Kairi.

She began swimming forward. "Come on," she said. "We'll never find him if we just stay here."

So the five of them kept on moving forward. "It's so beautiful here," said Terra, looking around at the sea floor. "I never imagined that the ocean could be like this."

"Really?" said Kairi. "I learned all about the ocean in school. It's all really amazing."

"Did you live by the beach?" asked Rydia.

"Actually, my world is a chain of tropical islands," said Kairi. "It's only natural that we'd know a lot about the ocean."

Rydia's eyes widened. "Really? That's so cool!"

"I guess it is. I never really thought of it as being that cool, but I suppose it is."

After a while, Minnie saw something in the distance. "What's that?" she asked.

Kairi stared at it for a while. "Maybe it's the palace? It kinda looks like it could be."

They kept moving forward. "Are you sure?" asked Daisy. "You've never been here. Howe would you know?"

"I don't," answered Kairi. "I'm guessing."

All of a sudden, they herad a voice. "Are you lost?"

Kairi turned around, and saw a very ordinary looking sea turtle. "I guess so," she said. "We're looking for the king's palace. Do you know where to go?"

"You're going the right way," said the turtle. "You see that structure in the distance? That's it."

"That's what we thought," said Terra.

"You were right, then," said the turtle. "It's the biggest thing around for a ways out. Mind telling me what business you have with the king?"

"Umm…"

Terra turned to Kairi. "Why do we want to see him?"

Kairi thought for a moment. "Some friends of mine have gone missing," she explained. "We want to see if he knows anything about that."

"Well, that's a good reason," the turtle said. "Good luck with that. Does he know your friends?"

"One of them."

"I see. What do they look like? Maybe I could help you look."

"That's very nice of you," said Minnie. "But we really must get going."

"Of course. I hope you find them."

The turtle swam away. "What do you know?" said Rydia, cheerfully. "Someone friendly!"

* * *

Finally, they reached the palace. It was a very large structure, made of stones, shells, sea glass, and other things. The turtle had been right, it was by far the largest thing in the vicinity. It was very beautiful, and Kairi figured that it would have taken a long time to build.

Two young mermen, wearing light armor and carrying decorated spears, floated on either side of the gates. When the group approached them, the guards gave them suspicious looks. "What business do you have with our king?" asked the guard on the right, in a sharp voice.

Kairi looked a little nervous, but quickly composed herself. "I'm a friend of someone he knows," she said.

The guard on the left crossed his arms. "What is your friend's name?" he asked.

"Sora," said Kairi. "He travels with two friends of his. The king will know who he is."

The guard on the right thought for a moment. "What does he look like? I may have seen him."

"He's got spiky brown hair," she said. "Um…he…"

She tried to remember what Sora had said about how he looked in this world. "He's got a bluish dolphin tail," she said. "Oh, and he has a special weapon. It looks like a giant key."

"Nope, don't know him," said the left guard.

The right guard thought for a moment. "I've seen that guy," he said. "It wasn't all that long ago. He did some sort of performance or something. And then about a year before that, he came through here. He was hanging out with the youngest princess."

The left guard looked over at him. "You mean the one who became a human and hooked up with that prince?"

"Yup, her."

Kairi got their attention again. "So if you know who I'm talking about, then could you let me in?"

"I guess so," said the guard on the right. "We'll have to know your names, though. Security and all."

"Sure," said Kairi. "My name's Kairi."

She pointed to the others, saying each name. "Terra, Rydia, Minnie, and Daisy," she said.

The guards moved aside. "Go ahead," said the guard on the left."

The five of them swam through the palace. It was possibly even more impressive from the inside. The only problem was how they were going to find the king.

Rydia noticed a young mermaid who appeared to be a servant or something. She swam over. "Excuse me?" she said. "Could you show us where the throne room is? We need to talk to the king."

The mermaid turned around, looking surprised. "Do you have permission?" she asked.

"Well, the guards let us in," said Daisy. "Is that not enough?"

"I suppose you have your reasons," she said. "I'll show you."

* * *

"Right down this hall," said the mermaid. "I certainly hope you're able to get what you came for."

"Thank you," said Terra.

The young servant swam away, leaving the group alone. "Are we ready?" asked Kairi.

"I am," said Terra. "I don't know if he'll actually be able to help us, but it's worth a try."

The group of five made their way down the hallway, and into the throne room. It seemed to be empty, but upon closer inspection, there was a small red crab sitting on the floor. Rydia went over to it, and took a look. "I think he's asleep," she said.

She poked him. "Hey, wake up!" she said, loudly.

The crab woke up, and skittered backwards, looking very surprised. "Who are you?" he said, in a voice with a strange and unidentifiable accent. "Why are you here?"

Kairi swam over. "Do you know where King Triton is?" she asked. "We need to talk to him."

He looked suspicious. "Do you have permission to be here?" he snapped. "No one is allowed here without good reason."

"I do have a good reason," said Kairi. "Do you know someone named Sora? He's my friend, and he knows your king."

"Oh yes, him," the crab muttered. "He was a strange one. You say you're his friend?"

Kairi nodded. "I've known him as long as I can remember. Could you please tell your king that we need to talk to him?"

The crab jumped up, and swam away down the hallway. "Do you know who that was?" asked Terra.

Kairi shook her head. "Sora didn't mention him."

Not much later, a powerful looking merman came down the hall. He appeared to be pretty old, but he still gave off an aura of power. He had long white hair, and a long beard. His tail was a greenish blue, and his torso was heavily muscled. He wore a sort of golden crown.

He swam up to the throne, and examined the group. He stared at them for a long time. "Sebastian tells me that you know Sora and his companions. Is this true?"

Kairi nodded. "I do. Sora is a very good friend of mine. He's told me about you."

King Triton motioned for the crab to leave. He did so immediately. The king waited a while, and then spoke again. "So, does this mean that you, too, are from another world?" he said, in a low voice. "Sora has earned my trust, but I did not think that he would bring more outsiders to Atlantica."

"We are from other worlds," said Minnie. "But we mean you and this place no harm. Kairi is from Sora's world. Daisy and I are from the same world as his friends, and Terra and Rydia are from somewhere else entirely."

"I see," the king said. "What brings you here, then? Surely you have some kind of goal in mind, or you would not be here."

"Well…"

Kairi explained everything to him. "That's distressing," he said. "However, I have heard no news of such disappearances in this world. And I have no way of knowing where your friends are. I'm afraid there's nothing that I can do."

"That's what I was expecting," said Kairi, sadly. "No one seems to be able to help us."

The king was silent. "I guess we're leaving, huh?" said Rydia, sounding disappointed.

Just as the group was about to leave, the king spoke again. "Actually," he said. "There might be a way."

* * *

By the way, I'm thinking of doing a revision of this fic. I've been working on it for quite a while, and my writing skills have improved since then. The early chapters could probably use some work, so don't be surprised if those chapters end up changing.


	18. Chapter Eighteen: The Mirror Stone

I'd actually had this chapter ready for a week or two. I just needed to finish typing it up. I've got another chapter ready, but I need to type that one up, too. But don't worry, it'll be up soon. I'm not about to leave this fic to die. I've promised myself I'll finish it.

* * *

Kairi turned around quickly. "You could help us?" she asked.

"Perhaps," said King Triton. "Supposedly, there's a strange cave around here somewhere. There are rumors that it contains a mysterious stone. This stone can be used to see into any place you choose…for a price. What that price is, I cannot say. But it may be able to help you, if you can find it."

"Do you know where we can find it?" asked Terra.

"It's supposed to be hidden in a group of mountains around here somewhere," said the king. "But as for the exact location, I cannot say."

"No problem!" said Rydia, cheerfully. "We'll find it!"

Minnie smiled. "We do appreciate this," she said. "We have no idea where our friends are, so if we can find this stone, then we'll at least have something."

The five of them swam away down the hall. The king simply watched, saying nothing as the group left.

* * *

As the group exited the palace, one of the guards called out to them. "Did you ladies get to see the king?" he asked.

Kairi turned around. "We did," she said. "Do you know where we could find some mountains? We're looking for a stone…"

The other guard pointed east. "Over that way," he said.

"Gotcha," said Rydia.

"Might want to be careful, though," said the first guard. "You know those dark monsters? Some of them still live there."

Kairi nodded. "I understand. We'll be careful.

They went in that direction for a long time. "This is so boring," said Ryida. "There's nothing around here, not even plants. Just water and sand."

She grinned. "But on the other hand, it helps us get used to swimming like this."

Suddenly, Terra spotted something. "Look out!" she shouted.

A large, jellyfish-like Heartless could be seen in the distance. "Maybe we should avoid it," said Kairi. "Swim over it, or something."

"I suppose we could try," said Minnie. "But what if it sees us?"

Kairi summoned her Keyblade. "Then we fight," she said. "Be ready, everyone."

They swam slowly, rising higher in order to avoid the creature. But as they got closer, they noticed something. "Oh, no…" muttered Terra.

There wasn't just one Heartless up ahead. There was a whole bunch of them. And in the middle was an enormous one that resembled a shark. "There's no way we can avoid them," said Daisy. "And I think I see the mountains. We can't get there except through these Heartless."

"But we can't fight all of those!" shouted Rydia.

Kairi looked ahead, eyes narrowed. "We have to," she said. "I mean, what other choice do we have?"

"It _will _be dangerous," said Minnie. "But I think we may be able to defeat them."

"I hope you're right…" muttered Rydia.

They all stayed in place. "Ready?" asked Kairi.

"I guess," said Terra.

"Then let's GO!"

The five of them "charged" into the group. Kairi found the nearest jellyfish creature, and began slashing at it. Terra, realizing that she didn't have her sword, was caught off guard. Panicked, she swam away from the few Heartless that had noticed her.

Rydia noticed her friend's problem, and looked around. Soon, she noticed a long, flat stone lying on the ocean floor. "Use that!" she shouted, pointing at the stone.

Terra looked around, and saw what Rydia was talking about. Dodging the Heartless' attacks, she made her way over to the stone, and picked it up. It was heavy, but she still managed to use it effectively. She began using it to attack the Heartless.

Meanwhile, Minnie was trying to use the available sunlight to fry the jellyfish. "Watch out!" cried Kairi. "They turn into four smaller ones when you kill – "

She was hit hard with tentacles from one of the jellyfish. Minnie focused hard on the attacker, trying to heat the water around it. It seemed to work, as it quickly exploded into four more jellyfish. Kairi, free from her attackers, began going after these new enemies.

The enormous sharklike Heartless didn't seem to be doing much, but everyone tried to keep an eye on it. "What's that one up to?" shouted Dasiy. "You would think that it'd be attacking us!"

"I don't know," said Terra. "But keep watching it. If it does anything that looks dangerous…"

Terra knocked away a few jellyfish. "We attack."

Soon, most of the jellyfish Heartless were gone, but several fishlike ones wielding spears appeared. By this time, the group had begun to tire. Daisy and Terra's healing spells had ensured that any physical damage was quickly undone, but they were still exhausted. Meanwhile, the shark Heartless had become more active. It swam in circles around the general area, appearing to watch the group as it did so. By the time almost all the spear-wielding Heartless were gone, it had begun to close in on the group.

It occurred to Kairi that maybe this was what it had been waiting for. Perhaps it had been waiting until they were more vulnerable, and then it would attack them. "Everyone!" she shouted. "Watch out for the – "

"LOOK OUT!" screamed Rydia.

Kairi turned around just in time to see the shark Heartless charging at her. She didn't have time to avoid it, however, and the impact knocked her a good distance away.

"Terra!" shouted Rydia. "I have an idea. We can freeze it! Freeze the water around it! I can't do it alone, so let's do it together!"

"Good idea," said Terra, trying to fend off a few of the fishlike Heartless. "Just need to get rid of these."

Daisy swam over to Kairi, who was trying to recover from the attack. "Protect!" she shouted.

A greenish light surrounded Kairi. Meanwhile, Rydia and Terra were working on casting the ice spell. But just as it was about to activate, the huge Heartless went after Kairi again. They tried to stop the spell, but it was already in effect. The water around them froze, trapping the Heartless – and Kairi with it.

Everyone was silent. "Is she…OK?" asked Minnie, sounding nervous.

"The spell didn't freeze them, only the water around them," explained Terra. "So she should be alive."

"My Protect spell should have helped, too," said Daisy. "But we need to get her out as quickly as possible. She's probably alright now, but I'm not sure how long she will be."

"But how are we going to get her out without letting that Heartless out, too?" asked Rydia.

"We could manipulate the ice so that it breaks," suggested Terra. "Or maybe melt the ice around just her."

"I'm not sure how to do that," said Rydia.

"We may have to let them both out," said Daisy. "At least we'll have time to prepare ourselves."

"Yeah," said Terra. "Let's."

So after Daisy cast Protect on everyone, Terra found a better stone to use, and Rydia tied a small rock to a piece of seaweed ("Otherwise, it'll just flop around and not work properly," she said), they were ready. Terra focused her power on the ice, and it began to melt. Once it did, the Heartless swam over to Terra and began attacking. The fact that it had been frozen didn't seem to bother it at all. Kairi, however, drifted downward and landed on the sandy bottom. Almost immediately, Daisy went over to her and checked to see if she was alright. "She's fine, just unconscious," she shouted. "It must have been a real shock. Just focus on killing that thing."

Terra and Minnie kept up their attacks, but Rydia went a little further out. She looked through her bag, and noticed that only Leviathan's stone was lit. She figured that it was because none of the other summons would work underwater. Ifrit certainly wouldn't. She pulled out Leviathan's stone, and held it up. "We'll fight one giant sea creature with another!" she shouted. "LEVIATHAN!"

The stone glowed brightly, and the enormous sea serpent materialized in front of her. Terra gave her a thumbs-up. "Good thinking!"

Leviathan roared, and charged at the Heartless. He snapped at it a few times, his sharp teeth doing plenty of damage. The Heartless, similarly, sunk its teeth into Leviathan's flesh. But the summoned creature simply shook the other creature off, and whacked it with his tail. This knocked the Heartless a ways away.

Seeing their chance, Minnie and Terra closed in on the Heartless. Terra sent a sort of whirlpool at it, and Minnie heated the surrounding water. Rydia kept an eye on Leviathan, while trying to figure out what spells would work underwater. Fire? Probably not, but she could use heat, like Minnie. Ice? Possible, but how to use it? Lightning? It'd probably hurt her teammates, too. Wind? No air. Well, actually…

She'd never done anything like this before, but it was worth a try. She chose a spot, and focused on bringing together the air in the water. Soon, bubbles began to form. She used her power to shoot the bubbles at the Heartless.

It worked pretty well. Not all that effective, but at least it was something. Daisy cast Slow on the shark Heartless, which worked very well, slowing it down significantly. This made it much easier for the others to avoid its attacks. However, Daisy couldn't do much else besides the occasional spell. She still had to make sure that the Heartless didn't come near Kairi.

After a while, the Heartless began to wear down. "It's almost dead!" shouted Rydia. "C'mon, kill it!"

Terra pointed to a spot on the ocean floor. A strange looking orb began to appear. "Gravity!" she shouted.

A light emitted from the orb, and the Heartless began to sink towards it. "Now!" shouted Terra. "I'll hold it down, you – "

Leviathan swam over, and shot an explosion of bubbles towards the Heartless. Apparently, they were much stronger than the ones Rydia had used, because that was enough to finish the Heartless off. It disappeared in a dark cloud.

Rydia grinned. "Finally!" she shouted.

She swam over to Leviathan, and put her hand on his huge head. "Thank you," she murmured.

Leviathan disappeared, and a faint blue light emanated from Rydia's pouch for a few seconds. "Good move, summoning him," said Terra.

They all swam over to Kairi. "I think she'll be awake soon," said Daisy. "Like I said, it must've been the shock of being frozen like that."

"She'd better wake up soon," said Minnie. "We can't leave her here. We'll have to wait for her to wake up before we do anything else.

* * *

_"OK," said Sora. "First, summon your Keyblade. Do you remember how to do that?" _

_Kairi nodded. "I do." _

_She held out her hand, and her new weapon appeared. "Good," said Sora. _

_He pointed to a set of dummies that appeared to have been made from bundles of palm leaves. "Let's see you hit these a few times. I want to see how you fight."_

_Kairi smiled. "Sure."_

_She ran towards the dummies, and began slashing at them. She didn't try all the jumps and tricks that Sora did when he fought. But soon, the dummies were reduced to piles of chopped-up leaves. _

_Sora grinned. "Good job. It's probably a good idea not to try anything fancy just yet. But you will want to do more than just swing that thing around. You've got to do it with __**style**_."

_Kairi looked confused. "Why?"_

_"Because it's fun!" said Sora. "Besides, if you're fighting Hertless, they won't just stay in one spot and do nothing. If you keep doing the same thing, they'll figure out a way to counter it. Then you'll really be in trouble."_

_"OK," said Kairi. "You're the expert."_

_She looked down at her weapon. "It's funny. This thing seems to have a mind of its own. It's as if I just sort of know what to do."_

_"Yeah," said Sora. "If it weren't for that, I'd probably be dead, or worse. I mean, I knew how to fight, sort of. But I'd never been in any actual danger."_

_"I see. That's probably why I was able to do so well in The World that Never Was."_

_"Probably. Now c'mon, lemme teach you some moves."_

_After a few hours, Kairi had gotten pretty tired. "You ready for a break?" asked Sora. _

_The two of them sat down by the spring. "How am I doing?" asked Kairi. _

_"Great," said Sora. "You'll catch up to me and Riku in no time." _

_"Really?"_

_"Maybe."_

_They were quiet for a while. "Where IS Riku, anyway?" asked Kairi. _

_"Doing homework," said Sora. "He had a lot to do today."_

_"I see."_

_Kairi looked up. "I wonder why I never thought to practice with you two before?" she mused. _

_"We asked you if you wanted to, but you never did," said Sora. _

_"I think it was because Mom and Dad didn't want me to get hurt," said Kairi. "And I was kind of scared. But now, I really don't have much choice. After all, if something happens, I've got to be prepared."_

_"Exactly," said Sora. _

_He stood up. "How 'bout we go home and get something to eat? Then we can come back here and practice some more, if you want to."_

_Kairi smiled. "That sounds great."_

* * *

Kairi sat up quickly. She looked around, and saw the rest of the group around her. "What happened?" she asked.

"Rydia and I tried to freeze that Heartless, but we ended up hitting you, too. When we unfroze you, you were unconscious."

"You were only out for fifteen minutes or so," said Minnie. "And you appear to be just fine. Don't worry."

"Well, that's good," said Kairi. "I hope you weren't too worried about me."

"A little. But you're OK now, and that's what matters," said Daisy.

All of a sudden, they heard someone shouting. Kairi turned around, and saw a young merman swimming towards them. Judging by the metallic piece of armor over his chest, and the large spear he carried, he was probably one of the guards from the palace, although he looked a bit younger than the ones at the entrance. He stopped right in front of them. "The king sent me to accompany you," he said, sounding out of breath.

Terra looked confused. "Accompany us?"

He nodded. "Yes. This area is dangerous. Many Heartless have been spotted here, including some very powerful ones. His Majesty figured that you'd need assistance."

"We can fight, you know," said Kairi. "We just took out a big group of them."

The merman looked a bit surprised. "Really?" he said. "I guess you're tougher than you look."

"If we'd needed an escort, we would have asked for one," said Rydia.

The merman looked a bit disappointed. "We could still use your help, you know," said Minnie" "It's always good to have numbers on your side."

The guard smiled. "Really? I mean, you'd really let me come along? You don't seem to need me, but if you say so…"

He held out his hand. "I'm Adel," he said. "I just became a knight."

"I'm Kairi," said Kairi.

She shook his hand. "It's good to meet you."

The others introduced themselves. "I think I know what you're looking for," said Adel. "The Mirror Stone, right? It's supposed to let you see to anywhere, even if you've never been there. But there is a cost."

"What's that?" asked Rydia.

Adel made a creepy face. "YOUR IMMORTAL SOUL!"

Kairi crossed her arms, an amused expression on her face. "Oh, really?" she said.

"Nah," said Adel, grinning. "Actually, no one knows. There are a few folks around who've used it, but none of them will say what they had to do. I doubt it's anything _too _horrible. After all, those guys are still alive and well."

He pointed to the mountains. "There's a cave over there somewhere," he said. "Most people only go a little ways in, but there's supposed to be more to it. I say that's where it is."

"You're probably right," said Daisy."

The group followed Adel through the mountains, keeping an eye out for anything resembling a cave. After a while, Kairi saw something. "Hey, what's that?" she asked.

She swam down to take a look. It looked pretty safe, so she went in. But a few minutes later, she darted back out. A large octopus poked out of the cave. "Hey, you!" he shouted. "This is my place! Don't you DARE steal it!"

"Steal it?" repeated Rydia. "Why would we want to do that?"

"Because I'm hiding from all the monsters around here! They're a real pain. Those guys at the castle managed to chase them away from where they live, but now they've come to more remote areas – like this place! The damn things don't seem to go away, no matter how many times you kill them. And me? I can only take out the weakest of them. I've been going from cave to cave, trying to hide from them, but they keep findin' me! I don't know what to do anymore!" said the octopus.

Adel looked concerned. "That's a problem," he said. "You're right, they keep coming back, no matter what we do. We at the palace are trying to figure out a solution, but nothing we come up with seems to work. I'll be sure to bring back your complaint, though. You've got a point. Denizens of the sea live everywhere, and there's no way to keep everyone safe. But we'll do our best."

"Thanks," said the octopus. "I dunno if you can do anything, but if you can, it'll be much appreciated."

He waved a tentacle. "Now can you leave me alone? I was trying to get some sleep!"

The group left. They kept searching for caves. They found plenty, but most of them were tiny, or didn't go anywhere. Finally, Terra spotted a large opening towards to bottom of one of the mountains. "This one looks promising. Let's take a look," she suggested.

So they entered the cave. For a while, it seemed to be just a passageway, until it opened up into a large area with a high ceiling. The ceiling and the walls were covered with large, angular crystals. Kairi swam up to the ceiling, and began investigating the room. "I don't see anything," she said. "There's nothing in here."

Then she looked down at the floor. "Wait," she said.

There was a pattern on the floor. Five circles, with several lines connecting them. "Try going over the circles," she said.

They did, but nothing happened. "That'd be way too easy," said Rydia. "There's got to be something else..."

She looked up at the ceiling for a while. Then, she smiled. "I see something," she said. "It's that crystal, right there."

She pointed upwards. "Most of them are clear, but that one is bluish. Touch it or something."

Kairi nodded. She reached out, and touched the crystal.

A beam of light shot out from it, and hit another crystal. It kept reflecting off them, until it went back to the first one. A loud rumbling noise was heard, and part of the wall moved aside, revealing another passageway.

Adel swam over to the part of the wall that had moved. "There's some writing here," he said.

He took a closer look. "Many may enter the Cave of the Mirror Stone, but all who do so must pay the price," he read.

He looked at Kairi. "I say it should be just you that goes," he said. "After all, we don't know what the 'price' is. You're the one who needed to find it, right?"

Kairi nodded. "Sounds good."

Rydia looked nervous. "Are you sure you want to go alone?" she asked.

Kairi smiled. "I'll be fine."

With that, she began to swim through the newly opened passageway.

* * *

Somehow, the cave had been lit. But this tunnel was not, and soon, it became completely dark. _I don't like this, _thought Kairi. _What if it's a trap?_

_It's probably not, _answered Namine. _But I see what you mean. Dark, enclosed spaces would make anyone nervous. _

She kept going, hands in front of her, feeling her way through the tunnel. Finally, it began to get brighter. Straight ahead, Kairi could see a lit chamber. She swam towards it, until finally, she was out of the tunnel.

Inside the chamber was a large stone that was reflective all over. She went closer, and picked it up. It was heavy, but she could still lift it. _Guess this is the Mirror Stone, _she thought. _But how do I make it work?_

She put her hand over it, and suddenly, she heard a voice in her head. _Speak of what you wish to see…_

She froze. _Namine, was that you?_

_No, I heard it too, _said Namine. _Just try doing what it says. _

Kairi nodded. "I…I want to see the place that Sora and Riku were taken to," she said, nervously.

The stone went dull for a few seconds, and then an image began to appear. It was of an enormous floating castle in the middle of a cloud of blue mist. The image stayed that way for a while, then it shifted. Now it showed Sora and Riku, sitting in a rather nice looking room, talking. Kairi's eyes widened. "Sora! Riku!" she shouted.

The image shifted again, showing a messy room, and the thing that took them sitting at a desk. It appeared to be writing in a notebook. It focused on him, and then changed to an image of the castle again. Then it went back to reflecting the room.

Kairi just stared at the stone. _They're OK! _she thought. _Now we just have to find them. _

Suddenly, she heard the voice again. _What you saw was not without cost, _it said. _Now you must allow it to see the truth of what you are, to see if your intentions are pure. Otherwise, you will never leave this place. _

Only then did she notice the fine layer of dust on the floor of the cave. Was that what was left of those who _didn't _have pure intentions? She shuddered. "I have nothing to hide," she said. "Search me if you want. I only want to save my friends."

It began instantly. Memories of Sora and Riku began flashinig through her mind. Memories of them being taken by the thing, following it away. It seemed like so long ago. Of her in the secret place, her hand on the drawing of herself and Sora. Of all the times she'd worried about them. Of her promise to Celes, that she'd find Locke and bring him back to her. Memory after memory flew through her thoughts. It was overwhelming.

Finally, it stopped. _You are free to go, _the voice said.

She let out a sigh of relief. _That wasn't so bad, _said Namine. _We should probably leave. They're waiting for us._

Kairi nodded. She swam back into the tunnel.

* * *

Like I said, expect the next chapter soon. It's not very long, but it's something. I hope you're all still enjoying this story, because I'm having a lot of fun writing it. :D


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Opened

I've actually had this chapter done for a while. I just didn't get around to typing it. This one's just another interval with the captives. It's shorter than usual, but don't worry - there's another one right afterward. And oh yeah...this chapter contains spoilers for KH: 358/2 Days. Well, sort of. If you haven't played the game, or haven't finished it, there's some bits of this chapter that'll be confusing. Just a warning. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Opened**

It had been a while since their peek into their captor's room, but Sora was still trying to make sense of their findings. He was worried about whether the thing had known they were there, but it was the writings that really bothered him.

It was morning – at least, he thought it was. He'd just woken up, and he was waiting for breakfast. A few times a day, meals would appear inside the room. They weren't great, but they were something.

Sure enough, a small plate of food materialized in the corner. This time, there was a note. He walked over to the corner, and picked up the note.

_The entirety of the living quarters has been opened. You are now free to visit anyone that I have brought here. However, I suggest that you refrain from going anywhere else. You may have the means to do so, but if you leave your designated area, there will be harsh consequences. _

Sora read the note a few times. He wondered who else was here, besides the people that Riku had found.

_So, I guess he doesn't know that we've been sneaking around, _said Roxas.

_Guess not. I didn't notice that you were awake._

_I woke up before you did. I just didn't have anything to say._

He was quiet for a while. _Hey, Sora? Did you have any weird dreams?_

Sora thought for a moment. _Yeah, but they're not worth mentioning. Something about a picture book I used to love when I was about six. Which is crazy, because I hadn't thought about that book in ages._

He could tell, though, that this wasn't the answer that Roxas was looking for. He'd probably dreamed about something more interesting. The two of them still dreamed separately, although sometimes their dreams overlapped. _How 'bout you? _

_ Mostly, nothing special. Except that there was this one that seemed different. I'm not even sure if it was a dream. Basically, I was in Twilight Town, but then I saw this girl. It was really weird, because in the dream, I felt like I'd seen her before…but I haven't. _

_ Well, what did she look like?_

_ She looked pretty much like how Kairi looked before she grew out her hair. You know, like in that picture on the wall in your living room, of you and her and Riku. In fact, that's exactly what she looked like. Except that her hair was black, and she was wearing a black coat like all the Organization XIII members wore._

Sora didn't think he'd ever seen anyone who looked like that. _Maybe she seems familiar because she looks like Kairi? _he suggested.

`_Maybe_

_ So what happened? In the dream, I mean. What did she do?_

_ Not much. It wasn't a very long dream. I just saw her standing there. She looked at me, and then she disappeared. Then the dream changed back to just a regular one. It was hard to tell, but she looked kind of sad. _

_ That's weird. You sure you don't know her?_

_ Positive. I can't remember ever seeing her before. You're probably right, she just seems familiar because of the pictures. _

* * *

After he finished breakfast, Sora left the room and made his way to a large, central room. Many of the others were there as well. "Good morning," he said.

He saw that the two guys that Riku had found were there. He couldn't remember their names, but he remembered seeing them. They looked over at him. One of them waved, but the other didn't do anything. He just sat on the couch, looking deep in thought.

There were two couches, and several chairs. Hayner was sitting in one of the chairs, and Riku in another. Not sure what to do with himself, Sora sat down on the empty couch.

After a few minutes, someone else walked into the room. Sora looked over, and recognized him instantly. "Cloud!" he said.

Cloud glanced over at him. "Been a while," he said. "The doors were locked, but I couldn't find you. Good to see that you're alright."

Sora smiled. "Actually, those locked doors weren't a problem. But Riku and I never did find your room."

"I'll show you where it is later. And by the way, your friends are here, and so is their king."

"Really?" exclaimed Sora, looking surprised.

"Yeah. They probably got lost trying to find their way here, but they'll find this place eventually. Can't say I blame them, though. This place is a real pain to navigate."

Suddenly, Sora heard something behind him. He turned around, and saw Hayner standing there. "I just remembered something," he said.

He paused, looking a bit awkward. "I _have _seen…what's his name…Roxas. I saw him once or twice. I think we even exchanged a few sentences. But he never told me his name."

_I thought so, _said Roxas.

"Makes sense," said Sora. "He went to Twilight Town a lot."

"Anyway, that's all," said Hayner.

He went back to the chair he'd been sitting in.

Sora went back to the empty sofa, and sat down. _You know, I've kind of been wondering. What was it like, being in the Organization?_

He could tell that this question surprised Roxas. _You're the last person that I'd think would be interested, _he said.

_I'm just curious. _

_ Well, basically, we all got sent out on missions every day. Usually, my job was to kill Heartless in order to collect the hearts they dropped. Then, after I finished my mission, I'd meet Axel at the clocktower in Twilight Town, and we'd have ice cream. Of course, there were times when he didn't show up, but I'd still go. Force of habit, I guess. _

_ Why did you leave, anyway?_

_ Because I wanted to know who I was. No one would tell me. I never did get my answer. I mean, I did, but by then…_

_ I get it. But why did you go back to the World That Never Was? That's where Riku found you, right?_

_ I think it was because I wanted to stop Xemnas. _

Sora was confused. _Wait, what? Why? I thought you worked for him! Why would you suddenly want to stop him?_

_ I can't remember why. I had a reason, a really important reason. But now that I think of it, I can't remember what it was. _

_ Why would you forget it if it was so important?_

Roxas paused. _Come to think of it, there's a lot of little holes in my memory. I can remember what I did, but I can't always remember why I did those things. It's really weird. _

Sora thought for a moment. _Do you think that Namine has anything to do with it? Doesn't she have power over memory?_

_ She does, specifically yours and those of people you know. Maybe you're right. _

_ Once we're all back home, and all of this is over, you could ask her. _

_ I think I will. Hopefully, it won't be too long until all this is over. Either we'll escape, or Kairi will find us. I just hope it'll happen before that thing has his way with us. _

_ Yeah…_

_

* * *

_Sorry if you found this chapter boring. The next one is better, so keep reading!


	20. Chapter Twenty: Return

See? Told you I had another chapter ready! This one's way longer. I've added a few more cameo appearances from some characters. One of those characters, I was a little worried about including...but she's a pretty minor character in this story, so it can't hurt. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: Return**

After Kairi had come out of the tunnel, the group had gone back to tell King Triton what they'd found. They'd said goodbye to Adel, and gone straight back to their ship. It was late, so they'd all gone straight to bed.

The next morning, when all five of them were awake, they got together in the main room to figure out what to do next. "Do you think that maybe we should go back home?" suggested Rydia. "Our home, I mean. Hollow Bastion. We should tell the people there what we figured out.

"We don't have much," said Daisy. "All Kairi saw was a weird castle, and a few glimpses of other things."

"It's still something, said Kairi. "Besides, they may have figured something out themselves. I say it's a good idea."

"Sounds good," said Terra.

Rydia looked around. "Can we just go already? I haven't had breakfast yet!"

"We probably should have a while to relax before we leave," said Minnie. "We don't want to wear ourselves out."

Kairi wasn't so sure. "But we've got to keep going!" she protested. "We don't know how much time we have!"

"I don't think it'll be a problem if we take a few hours of free time," said Terra.

* * *

"Hey, Kairi? Do your parents know that you're doing this?" asked Terra.

The five of them were sitting in the main room. They'd just finished breakfast (cereal and dried fruit, easy to store), and were simply chatting about various things. "When Minnie and Daisy came to the island, I just left with them."

"Won't they worry about you?" asked Rydia.

"When Sora and Riku and I came home, we told our families everything. Well, almost everything. And we warned them that we might need to leave again, someday. So chances are, they'll know that we're doing _something _important," explained Kairi.

She looked down. "But yeah, I probably should have said something."

"You've always lived where you do, right?" asked Terra. "So how did you and your friends find out about other worlds?"

"Actually, I haven't always," said Kairi. "I think that originally, I lived somewhere else. Sora says he found me lying on the beach after a meteor shower. But I don't remember anything from before then. I mean, I think I knew my name, but that's about it. The people I call my parents aren't my real parents, either. They took me in after Sora found me. And really, it was my arrival that got Sora and Riku thinking that there might be other worlds out there. They were right, but they didn't know it. Not for a long time, anyway."

"Cool!" exclaimed Rydia. "I wonder where you were from, anyway?"

"I don't really have any way of knowing," said Kairi. "But maybe someday, I'll find out."

"Do you think that sometime you could tell us about everything that happened with you and your friends?" asked Daisy. "Donald told me some things about what he, Sora, and Goofy were doing, but nothing much about you."

"Maybe, but not now."

Everyone was quiet for a while. "Maybe we should go to Hollow Bastion now," said Minnie. "It's been some time, and it takes a while to get there. We'd better get started."

"You're right," said Kairi. "Let's go."

Daisy looked over at her. "Would you like to learn how to fly the ship?" she asked.

Kairi looked astonished. "Already?"

"If you're willing," said Daisy. "You don't have to, but I think it'd be good for you to learn."

Kairi shook her head. "Not this time, but maybe later."

"Got it. I'll fly it this time."

* * *

Shortly after they'd started the ship, Ridya walked into the storage room that Kairi usually spent the ship rides in. "Hey," she said.

Kairi glanced over, but said nothing. "I'm so glad we're going home, even if it's just for a little while. I want to tell my friends all about what we've done. I hope they believe me," said Rydia, cheerfully.

Kairi smiled. "I'm sure they will."

"I guess. Marlene will probably believe me. Relm and Eiko will think it's awesome, and Edge will say that he wishes that he could've come along."

Kairi looked a bit confused. "I don't think you've mentioned Eiko before," she commented. "Is she another friend?"

Rydia nodded. "Yeah. She's a bit younger than I am. She's a bit hard to deal with sometimes, but she's nice."

"You have quite a few friends, don't you?"

"Yup. I kinda miss them, which is why I'm so excited about going home."

"Makes sense."

Kairi looked down. "You look upset," said Rydia. "Is something wrong?"

Kairi sighed. "We're getting closer to finding everyone," said Kairi. "But we still have almost nothing. How are we supposed to know where that place I saw is? At this rate, it'll take months to find them – and I doubt they have that long."

Rydia looked curious. "Why do you think that it's going to kill everyone?"

"I don't know. I just have a really bad feeling about this. If it doesn't kill them, it'll probably do something else that's just as bad – or worse."

Rydia looked confused. "There's not much that's worse than dying."

Kairi looked grim. "There are some things."

Both girls were quiet for a while. "Hey, can I ask you something?" said Rydia.

"Sure. What is it?"

Rydia hesitated a little bit. "Remember when I walked in on you, and you were talking with that girl in white?"

Kairi smiled. "Namine? Yeah, I thought I explained that."

"Yeah, but…does she mind being with you all the time?"

This wasn't something that Kairi had thought about before. After all, Namine had been the one who had said that they had to join together. She'd initiated it. "I don't know," said Kairi. "She never complained about it."

"I'd think it'd kinda suck," said Rydia. "I mean, no one would even know you were there. You'd have nothing to do. You couldn't make friends, and you'd have to give up everything you had before. Would it really be worth it?"

"She didn't have much of a life," said Kairi, softly. "She'd never had friends, and no one cared about her. All people cared aboutwas using her powers. By the time she came to me, she honestly didn't care what happened to her. She just wanted the best for everyone else. I think…"

She paused. "I think that she's happier now. I mean, not that she could be before…but you get the idea."

"Stuff must've been awful for her if she thinks it's better to live through you," said Rydia.

"I think you're right. I mean, I don't know for sure, because there's a lot that she doesn't want to talk about."

Rydia stood up. "I'm going to ask Daisy how far we are from home."

She walked towards the door, and looked back. "If you want to talk, then just tell someone, k? We're here if you need someone."

She walked out the door, and closed it behind her.

* * *

A few hours later, they finally arrived. The five of them gathered in the transporter room. "Everyone ready?" asked Kairi.

Everyone nodded. "Yes, I think we are," said Daisy.

Kairi pushed the large button on the wall, and they were transported to the world below them.

* * *

"So you finally found something?" asked Aerith. "That's great!"

The group was sitting at a large table inside one of the Restoration Committee's buildings. They'd gone straight over, and found Leon and Aerith there. "We do have a bit of a lead," said Daisy. "Kairi found something in one of the worlds we visited."

"It's not much," said Kairi. "I saw my friends, and a floating castle surrounded by mist. But that's about it."

"She's right. That's not much," muttered Leon.

"Still," said Terra.

Rydia thought for a moment. "Could we ask Cid?" she suggested. "He might know something. He's always messing around with ships and stuff, right?"

Aerith nodded. "Good idea."

So the five of them left the building. "Terra, do you know where he usually is?" asked Kairi.

Terra nodded. "I don't know where he lives, but I know where he works. It's a few blocks away, in a huge building. It used to be a warehouse, I think."

With Terra leading the way, the group made their way through the streets. It was still relatively early, and the sun appeared to have been up for a while. It was quiet. Not many people were outside, and those who were appeared to be focused on their own business.

It wasn't a long walk to their destination. It did look a lot like a warehouse. It took them a while to find the entrance, but eventually Minnie noticed a door in the back.

Just as Kairi was about to open the door, a girl opened it from the other side and came running out. She was carrying a few bags. She ran a ways forward before stopping and looking back.

Now that she was standing still, the others could get a good look at her. She had straight, purple hair that went down to a little above her shoulders. She looked about the same age as Kairi, maybe a little older. She was wearing an orange shirt with several stains on it, tan shorts, and brown work boots. An orange bandana was tied around her head, and she wore a pair of large, round glasses.

The girl looked at the group, appearing to be confused. "Are you here to see Cid?" she asked. "He's kinda busy. I was just going off to buy some things we need for a project…"

"I didn't know that he had an assistant," remarked Rydia.

The girl looked embarrassed. "I'm not his _assistant_!" she protested. "We're just working together on a few projects."

She took a deep breath. "He's in there," she said. "But like I said, he's busy."

She waved, and ran off. Kairi looked at Terra. "Have you seen her before?" she asked.

Terra shook her head. "I haven't."

Kairi opened the door, and the others followed her. They walked through a few rooms before entering into an enormous room.

There were all kinds of things scattered around the room. Some could be identified; others just looked like random bits of machinery or materials. Towards the middle of the room were a few midsized ships that had clearly been heavily modified and worked with. A man wearing safety goggles was standing on a ladder, doing something to the nearest ship.

Kairi walked over to him. "Excuse me?" she shouted.

The man stopped what he was doing and looked down at her. She thought she could hear him cursing under his breath. "What're you doing here?" he shouted. "Didn't Lucca tell you I was busy?"

"Y-yeah, but I need to tell you about something," she said, nervously. "Did the others tell you about me? My friends are missing, and…"

She trailed off, not sure what to say. She suddenly felt incredibly awkward. "You're Cid, right?"

The man climbed down the ladder, and walked over to her. "Yeah," he said.

He paused." Waitasec. Aren't you Sora's friend? You the one who's been looking for him?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. They mentioned me, right? You weren't around the last time I came here."

Cid nodded. "They said that a bunch of people had gone missing, and that you'd gone off with some of the locals to find them. Am I right?"

"Yeah."

She motioned to Minnie, Daisy, Terra, and Rydia, who were standing a ways back. "I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without them."

Then she remembered something. "Hey, is Cloud back?" she asked.

Cid shook his head. "Nope. He's still missing. You thinkin' your mystery monster took him too?"

"Probably."

The rest of the group walked up to them. "Hey, who was that girl that we saw right before we came in?" asked Rydia. "I've never seen her before."

"That'd be Lucca. Came here looking for a summer job, and ended up staying longer. She's been a big help. She's got a real talent with machines, so naturally we get along pretty well."

Terra smiled. "She sounds like your kind of person."

"So why are you here, anyway?" asked Cid. "Got a question?"

Kairi took a deep breath. "Do you know of a floating castle surrounded by a bluish mist?" she asked. "I think that's where they are."

Cid thought for a moment. "No, can't say I have."

"Well, is there any way to look for it?" asked Minnie. "We need to find it."

"Has anything unusual showed up lately?" asked Daisy.

Cid looked frustrated. "How should I know?" he snapped. "I don't monitor the universe. I just help keep this town stable."

Kairi looked disappointed. "Well, who should we ask, then? If you can't help us, who can?" she asked.

"If you want to find a place you've never seen before, I can't help you. But Merlin probably could. I don't know how he does all that magic bullshit, but somehow he makes it work. I bet he'd be able to do something for you."

Minnie nodded. "It's worth a try. Kairi, let's go."

Kairi smiled. "Let's."

* * *

"Now that you mention it, I have noticed some strange energy lately," said Merlin.

He thought for a moment. "Yes, I've been noticing a _lot _of strange energy, and it all appears to originate from the same general spot."

"Where?" asked Kairi.

At the moment, it was just her, Minnie, and Daisy. Rydia had wanted to see her friends, so Terra had gone with her. "I'm not certain," said the old wizard. "But I have a feeling that if you can find this place, you can find your friends."

"Thank you so much," said Kairi. "Is there any way that you can help me find this place, though? The universe is huge, and if I just run around with no idea where to look, then I'll never find them."

"I'm certain that there's a way," said Merlin. "It may take some time, though."

At that moment, the door burst open, flying off the hinges and slamming against the far wall. Standing there was the same dark figure that had taken her friends.

Kairi froze. The thing walked up to her. "You're still looking, aren't you?" he said, calmly. "Fascinating. I would have thought that you'd be smarter than that, but you're just as painfully loyal as they are."

She was terrified, but she managed to stand up and face him. "Were are they?" she said, trying to sound confident. "You haven't hurt them, have you?"

"Of course not," he said. "You thought that I'd just kill them? If I'd wanted to do that, I could have just done it in the first place, instead of taking them. No, I've got better things planned."

Minnie and Daisy walked up and stood on either side of her. "If you even think about hurting my sweetheart, I'll make you regret it!" shouted Daisy.

The thing chuckled. "And what would you do, heal me to death?"

"What are you planning, anyway?" said Kairi. "Whatever it is, we'll stop you!"

"Do you really think you could?" he asked. "You may have become stronger, but I could still take care of you in a heartbeat. You don't even know who you're up against."

"It doesn't matter," said Kairi. "I won't let you hurt Sora and Riku. They've done too much for me. I can't let them down. I won't give up!"

"Brave words for a girl who's been nothing more than a tool ever since the start."

"Shut UP! I…"

Then an idea came to her. "I'll make you a deal," she said.

"What?!" exclaimed Daisy.

"A deal?" repeated the thing, sounding amused. "What sort of deal?"

"I'll fight you," said Kairi. "If I win, you'll bring everyone home. Got it?"

"And if you lose?"

Kairi glared at the thing. "Nothing."

"But if I have nothing to gain, then why should I accept your offer?" he challenged.

"Fine then. If you win…"

She tried to come up with something. Meanwhile, the creature walked over to a bookshelf. He looked it over, then glanced at Merlin. "If I win, I'll take one of the books," he said.

"Those are valuable!" protested Merlin. "I won't allow it!"

The thing picked out a newer looking book with _The Nature of Darkness _written on the cover. "This one?" he asked.

Merlin thought for a moment, a frustrated look on his face. "Fine," he said. "That book didn't have much in it that I didn't already know. A complete waste of munny, that one. If you want it so badly, you may take it."

Minnie looked very worried. "Kairi, I don't think this is a good idea. You don't know how strong he is. You might get hurt!"

Kairi looked at her. "I want to do this. If I can win, then I can end everything," she said.

"Well, if you're going to fight, then I insist that you do it outside," said Merlin. "This little place won't do at all."

So all of them left the cottage, and walked out into the open space outside. Kairi and the dark figure went to opposite sides of the area, and faced each other. "Now, first off, this will have to be one-on-one," he said. "It wouldn't be fair for you to have all your little friends on your side, would it?"

Kairi nodded. "Agreed. It'll be just the two of us."

Normally, she would have been terrified, but right now she was overcome with a sort of cold anger. She thought only of Sora and Riku. How if she won this, assuming that the thing would keep his promise, they would be safe. It'd be over. They could go home, and go back to their peaceful, ordinary lives. For a while, at least, they wouldn't have to fight. They wouldn't have to be afraid.

The thing snapped his fingers, and a purple barrier encircled an oval-shaped area, with both of them inside. "This will be our arena," he said, calmly. "No one else is to interferer. It will be you against me, little girl, just as you wanted. Are you afraid?"

"Yes," said Kairi. "But that won't stop me."

Suddenly, Terra, Rydia, and a little blue-haired girl ran around a corner and into the area. "Kairi, Eiko wants to meet you!" shouted Rydia. "Could you…"

She saw the whole scene, and froze. "Kairi, what are you doing?" shouted Terra.

Kairi turned towards them. "This is him," she said. "This is the thing that took my friends. I've challenged him to a fight. If I win, he'll bring everyone back."

"Kairi, that's stupid!" shouted Rydia. "You have no idea how strong he is. What if he kills you?"

"If he kills me, I want you guys to keep going," said Kairi, quietly. "This is what I need to do. I can't pass up this chance."

"Kairi, please don't do this," pleaded Terra.

Kairi turned and faced the shadowed figure. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "But I have to."

She summoned her Keyblade. The thing snapped his fingers again, and a long, thin sword appeared in his hands. It was deadly looking, its blade made of some kind of black material. "Are you ready?" he asked.  
Her heart pounding, Kairi nodded. "Yes," she said.

"Well, then," he said. "BEGIN!"

* * *

Cliffhanger! Don't worry, chances are I'll have chapter 21 up soon enough. I can't say when, but I promise that it won't be too long. By the way, thanks to everyone who's been reading this fic. I know I've been kind of inconsistent with updating, but that's just the way I am. I promise that I won't let this story die - I'm having way too much fun writing it! :P


	21. Chapter Twenty One: Showdown

I'm back! Sorry I took so long to post this chapter. I actually had it typed up for quite a while - I just didn't get around to posting it. But here it is, so don't worry! I know this one's a little on the short side. It was kind of boring to write - I'm not too good at writing fight scenes like this, so sorry if it seems a little dull. ^^;

* * *

Kairi made the first move. She ran over to him, and swung her Keyblade. But he stepped out of the way, and blocked her blow with his sword. She stepped back a few times, avoiding his attacks. He held out his hand, and a wave of energy flew out towards her, knocking her several feet back. She was still on her feet, but it took her a moment to recover. The dark figure ran over to her, and slashed at her. His blade left a shallow cut in her arm, and she gasped.

He took advantage of her surprise, and shoved her onto the ground. He tried to slash at her again, but she rolled out of the way, and hit him with her Keyblade. She jumped to her feet, and began a series of attacks.

For a while, she was able to just keep hitting him, but soon he blocked one of her attacks. She reacted quickly as he tried to retaliate, blocking his attacks over and over again. She ran off a ways away, trying to get away from him, but he was faster than she was. He hit her again, this time on her back.

Kairi wasn't used to fighting alone, and she certainly wasn't used to fighting intelligent foes. Obviously, a constant offense wouldn't be enough this time. She tried to ignore the pain where she'd been hit, but it was difficult. She was used to having any wounds healed quickly – but this time she was entirely on her own. She suddenly realized that she had no idea how to heal herself.

Trying not to panic, she saw her opponent coming her way. She jumped into the air, and slashed downward, knocking him off-guard. Quickly, she stabbed a few times, but her attacks didn't seem to do much. His shadowy body gave no indication of how much damage he'd taken.

She tried to hit him again, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist. He tossed her away, and sent another shockwave at her. She tried to recover as quickly as she could, but he ran over and attacked a few more times.

By now, she was hurting all over. She was tired, and the cuts he'd given her were still bleeding. It was getting more and more difficult to hit him. Despite the fact that her blows kept connecting, he didn't appear to be hurt at all. She _really _wished that she's asked Terra or someone to teach her some magic. It would have made things much easier.

She jumped again, and this time she kicked him a few times in midair. But again, he grabbed her by the leg, and threw her off to the side. She landed hard on the cobblestone path.

She looked at herself. That landing had scratched her pretty bad, and her whole left side was sore from it. She got up as quickly as she could, but the thing was already standing in front of her. He laughed, and sent spheres of dark energy flying at her.

She managed to knock the first few away, but once one of them hit her, she couldn't keep it up. She was losing, and she knew it.

She looked through the barrier at the terrified faces of her friends. Suddenly, she felt incredibly stupid. Why did she think she could stand a chance against him, anyway? She'd been so sure that she could win…

Meanwhile, the others watched as she tried to keep blocking his attacks. "She's not doing well," said Daisy, sounding worried. "How long do you think she can keep this up?"

"I don't know," said Terra. "But there's no way she's going to win."

Rydia looked horrified. "Is she going to make it?" she asked.

"Depends on whether that thing will let her live after she loses," said Terra.

Rydia glared at Minnie. "Why didn't you stop her?" she shouted.

"We tried," said Minnie. "She wouldn't listen."

Suddenly, Kairi crashed into the barrier in front of them. Her opponent tried to stab her, but she rolled out of the way. She was looking even more worn out by now. She was covered with cuts, bruises, and gashes, and her clothes were torn in a few places. Not only that, but she looked exhausted.

All sorts of things were going through her mind. How much longer could she hold out? Was she going to live? She wasn't sure what would happen if she lost. Was her opponent intending to kill her? She didn't know.

She kept trying to attack, but she couldn't even hit him anymore. While at the beginning, she'd been able to hold her own, now she was practically helpless.

Finally, the thing ran over to the opposite end of the arena. "Enough games," she heard him say. "This ends now."

She didn't have to wait long to see what he meant. He held up his arms, and dark coils of energy began to appear around them. They shot out towards her. She tried to knock them away, but her weapon passed right through them. One at a time, they crashed into her, knocking her higher and higher into the air. Somehow, she remained suspended there while the coils joined together to create a single one. It hung above her for a moment, and then it collided with her, sending her back towards the ground. She slammed back onto the stones.

Lying there, she tried to catch her breath, but found it nearly impossible. Her entire body hurt, and she was surprised that she was still conscious. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her enemy advancing. He stopped right in front of her. "What…" she managed to gasp.

She took a moment to breathe. "What are you?"

She saw no change where his face should have been, but somehow she sensed amusement. "You may call me Nightshade," he said coolly.

He held out his sword. "Not that you'll need that information. Your quest ends here, little girl."

The last thing she knew before everything went dark was a flash of bright white light.

* * *

_"Who are you?" snapped Nightshade. "Where did the girl go?"_

_ In front of him, someone else stood, wearing white and holding onto a long chain that looked almost like it was made of glass. "Enough," she said. "I can't just let you kill her!"_

_ Nightshade pointed his sword at her. "Shall I kill you instead, then?" he growled. "No one else was to interfere!"_

_ The barrier encircling them vanished, and the others ran over. "Do you really think we'd let you?" shouted Terra. "We won't let our friend die!"_

_ "If you want to keep going, you'll have to go through us," said Daisy. "All of us."_

_ Nightshade hesitated. "It's not worth the trouble," he muttered. "For this moment, you're safe. I have other things to attend to."_

_ He held out his hand, and a purplish pillar of light appeared. "Tell your friend, if she lives, to think before she acts. She's very lucky that she has a next time. If she continues to be so foolish, then she'll never have the chance to see her friends again."_

_ He walked through the light, and was gone. _

_ The girl looked at the others and smiled. There was a flash of light, and Kairi reappeared in her place. Terra caught her as she fell. _

_ Rydia looked over at her. "Is she…alive?" she said, nervously. _

_ "Yes, but she's hurt really badly," said Terra. "She needs help. We have to get her somewhere, fast."

* * *

_Well, Kairi didn't do too well that time. She _is_ alive...but clearly, she's not doing too well. You'll just have to wait and see what happens next!

I can't say for sure when the next chapter will be up. I'm already working on it, but due to my ADHD-ness, it may be a while before it's finished. Remember, even if it takes a while for me to update, the fic isn't dead until I say it is. If I discontinue the fic (which I won't, as I've promised myself I'll finish it) then I'll leave a note saying so. Be patient, guys. :P


	22. Where the added characters are from

So it seems like a lot of people who come across this story are getting a little confused about where all the extra characters are coming from…so I figured I'd put in this little thing to explain it.

* * *

Terra is from Final Fantasy VI. She was the closest thing the game had to a main character. Not to be confused with the OTHER Terra, from KH: Birth By Sleep. I started writing this story before that game was announced.

Rydia is from Final Fantasy IV. She wasn't the main character, but she was fairly important. She's probably my favorite of the game's characters. She's a little girl towards the beginning of the game, but after some events that I won't elaborate on in case any of you haven't played it, she shows up again as a young woman. I put her somewhere in between those ages.

Neku, Shiki, and Eri are from a DS game called The World Ends With You. Seems like a lot of people are getting confused about where I got them from. I'd highly recommend the game – it's very unique, and a lot of fun to play. Neku is the main character, Shiki is another major character, and Eri is Shiki's friend who only shows up once in the game. Actually, the bit where I described the girls is kind of a spoiler for the game. So if you're going to play the game, let's hope you don't remember that.

Locke and Celes are from FFVI. They were two other major characters.

Cecil and Edge are from FFIV. Cecil was the main character, and Edge joined maybe two thirds of the way through the game. Edge is NOT a kid in FFIV, but in this fic I made him closer to Rydia's age.

Marlene, who's been mentioned in this fic but hasn't actually showed up, is from Final Fantasy VII. She's Barret's daughter. I haven't actually played FFVII (I plan to) but I have watched all the cutscenes, so I have a good idea of what happens.

Eiko, who's showed up briefly, is from Final Fantasy IX. That one happens to be my favorite FF game, and I would be thrilled if they put a few more of its characters into Kingdom Hearts. (Currently, they've only used Vivi, and he hardly did anything in KH2).

Finally, Lucca is from a game called Chrono Trigger. I have the DS version, but I'm not finished with it yet. I like it, though, and I figured I could probably give her a cameo in this story.

* * *

I _think _that's everyone. I know I've gone a little overboard with sticking characters into this story, so I'll try not to add any more. If you're wondering when the next real chapter is coming…it's something like a third of the way done. But I'm not even sure that's an accurate estimate, and I can't say how long it'll take for me to finish the chapter. As you've probably noticed, I work rather slowly on this fic. I also work in spurts. Sometimes I feel like working on it, and sometimes I don't. But it's probably the farthest I've gotten in any story I've written – so don't worry, I WILL finish it. Thanks for putting up with the irregular updates.


	23. Chapter Twenty Two: Refresh

I know, I know, it's been ages. I've been lazy. Anyway...'nuff said, here's the chapter.

* * *

Kairi's dreams were interrupted suddenly. She found herself in a small room that was entirely white. The walls, the furniture, everything. There was a window, its curtains drawn shut, but no doors. In the middle of a room was a long table, and Namine was sitting in a chair at one end.

Kairi walked over, and sat down at the other end. "Are we…dead?" she asked.

"No, but you would have been," said Namine. "I…sort of took over. For a few minutes. I hope you don't mind."

Kairi looked surprised. "You can do that?"

Her Nobody nodded. "Yes, I suppose so. This was the first time I'd tried."

"I don't mind, if that's what saved me."

Kairi paused. "But you can't fight. You don't even have a weapon!" she exclaimed. "How did you…"

"I do, actually. I didn't need to use it…but I do have one. Every Nobody does," said Namine.

Kairi hadn't known that. "Well, what's yours?" she asked. "Could I see?"

Namine lifted her hand in the air, and in a puff of mist, the glassy-looking chain appeared. "This," she said. "I didn't really know what it would be – I'd never tried to summon it before. But I guess this suits me."

Just as quickly, it disappeared. "Where is this place, anyway?" asked Kairi.

Namine was quiet for a while. "Physically, you're unconscious in Terra's house. You've been out for a few days, I think. You've woken up briefly a few times, but mostly you've just been lying there. I brought your consciousness here, though, because I needed to talk to you."

She paused. "What was the last thing you remember?"

Kairi tried to remember. It took her a moment, but when it came to her, she cringed at the memory of the battle. She couldn't believe that she'd been stupid enough to try that. "I lost," she said. "He knocked me up into the air, and I fell. It hurt so much…"

She trailed off. "You've got to wake up," Namine insisted. "Everyone's really worried."

Kairi looked down, looking sad. "But what I did was so stupid," she said. "I just wanted so badly for everything to end. I couldn't think straight. I was so angry…"

She took a few breaths, and sat down in the chair again. "I'm so tired of this," she said, flatly. "I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of going around trying to figure something out and getting nowhere at all. I'm tired of missing them, and of worrying. But even more than that, I'm scared. What if I can't save them? What if I'm too late, or what if I'm not strong enough to stop Nightshade? I don't think that I'd be able to live with that."

She looked away, a few tears running down her face. "All I want is to see them again. I just want to cherish that time we have together back home, before something else comes up and we have to leave again.

Namine looked straight at her. "You say that you're afraid of not being able to stop Nightshade. But by doing what you did, you might have caused that to happen."

Kairi glared back at her. "I KNOW that!" she shouted. "I know it was stupid. I can't believe I did that. The others must've been worried sick…"

"That's why you've got to wake up. They're still worried."

Kairi looked away. "I can't. Not now. What'll I do next, anyway? Go waste time in more worlds?"

"You're not wasting time, you're – "

"STOP IT! It's not enough! Nothing I do is good enough! It's like no matter how hard I try, it's no good! I can't do anything right! I can't – "

She was about to say more, but then she noticed the look on Namine's face. She looked frustrated, surprised, and more than a little hurt. Kairi sighed. "I'm sorry. I…do I really have to go back? I'm not sure I'm ready. I'm so worried about what they'll say…"

"Don't be," said Namine. "I think they'll just be glad to see that you're OK. Maybe they will be angry, but they'll probably save that for later."

Kairi nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm nervous, but I guess I have no choice."

Namine smiled. "They're waiting. Go ahead."

Kairi smiled back, and vanished from the room. Namine waited for a while, and then waved her hand over the table. A piece of paper and a box of crayons appeared. She smiled, and began to draw.

* * *

Terra sat by the bed, watching the unconscious girl lying there. Her wounds were mostly healed, assisted in part by magic. She should have been able to wake up, but she hadn't.

She was worried. When they'd brought her back to the house, she'd been in pretty bad shape. They'd gone straight to work with healing spells, but they had to be careful not to do too much. Healing magic was good for small wounds, or ones that had just been inflicted. But if you used too much at once, it could have harmful effects.

Seeing their friend like this had terrified Rydia more than any of the others. She'd been crying for a long time, and after that she'd just sat by Kairi, watching as Terra and Daisy took care of her.

They'd been assured that she would be fine, soon, but Terra couldn't help but worry. How long was "soon," anyway?

A few minutes later, she got her answer. She saw her friend's eyes open. Slowly, Kairi sat up and began to look around the room. "You're up," said Terra.

She smiled. "Yeah."

"You OK?" asked Terra. "It's been about a day and a half."

Kairi thought for a moment. "I'm feeling all stiff, and a little sore. Otherwise, I think I'm alright. Is it OK for me to get up?"

Terra nodded. "I think so."

Kairi got up out of bed, and stretched. "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have done what I did. It was stupid."

"It was," said Terra. "But you're OK now, so I think we can forgive you."

She smiled. "You must be hungry after being out for so long. Why don't you come to the kitchen, and we'll feed you something."

"Sure."

Terra pointed to the closet. "Might want to put your regular clothes back on first," she said.

Kairi looked down at herself, and noticed the too-big nightgown she was wearing. "It's mine," said Terra. "We had to fix up your clothes after we brought you back here. They were all torn and dirty."

She walked toward the door. "Come to the kitchen after you're done changing, alright?"

She shut the door, and left.

* * *

A few minutes later, Kairi made her way to the kitchen. It was a fairly small room, with a round table and a few chairs in the middle, and all the appliances on one side. At the table was a small bowl full of fresh berries. Terra was sitting at the table, looking over at her.

Kairi stood there for a while, not sure what to do. "Go ahead, they're for you," said Terra. "I'm not sure if they'll be enough, so if you want something else, all you have to do is ask."

Kairi nodded. She sat down, and put a few berries in her mouth. For quite a while, no one spoke. The bowl was emptied quickly. "Terra, I think I would like something else," she said. "I mean, these are delicious, but they probably aren't enough."

Terra nodded. "Of course. What do you want?"

"Not sure, exactly. What do you have?"

Terra walked over to a cupboard, and started sorting through boxes and cans. "Would soup be OK?" she asked.

"Depends on what kind," said Kairi.

She stood up, and walked over to the cupboard. After a bit of searching, she grabbed a can. "This looks good," she said.

Terra nodded. "Got it. It'll be ready soon."

Suddenly, the front door opened. "Hey Terra, I'm home!" shouted a familiar voice.

Rydia walked into the kitchen, and immediately noticed Kairi. "You're up!" she exclaimed.

She ran over to her, and hugged her tightly. Kairi grinned. "Yup."

Rydia stepped back a bit. "Took you long enough," she said. "We were all really worried."

Kairi smiled. "Well, I'm alright now, so you don't need to worry anymore."

"Are you sure?" asked Rydia, looking suspicious. "That guy beat you up pretty badly. You're really OK?"

"I think so," said Kairi.

Terra looked over at them. "Even so, you probably shouldn't exert yourself too much for the next few days. You might feel fine, but I'm not sure what condition you're in."

She looked at the stove, where the soup was heating up in a small pot. "This'll take another minute or two. Be patient."

Kairi nodded. "Thanks."

She suddenly remembered something. "Terra?"

Terra glanced over. "Yes?"

"Where should I go if I want to learn magic?"

Terra turned around. "Well, this is sudden," she said, sounding a bit surprised. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I think it'd be good to learn. I probably would have lasted longer in that fight if I knew how to heal myself, or attack from a distance."

Terra was quiet for a moment. "I guess it couldn't hurt," she said. "I could teach you, but maybe it'd be better to wait. Like I said, you want to be careful with yourself."

"I guess so."

Rydia stood up and ran towards the door. "Hey, I just remembered something!" she shouted. "Merlin found out more about where your friends might be!"

Kairi looked over, her eyes wide. "Really?" she exclaimed.

Rydia nodded. "Yeah! He wanted you to see as soon as you woke up. Terra, is that soup ready?"

"I think so," said Terra.

She took a bow out of a cabinet, and poured the soup into the bowl. She took out a spoon, and brought the bowl over to the table. "Here you go," she said. "Better eat quickly."

* * *

Afer Kairi finished, she and Rydia went out the door, and started towards Merlin's house. Rydia assured her that it wasn't too far away. "But I feel fine!" protested Kairi.

"Sure, but having a lot of magical healing done requires that the caster draw on the strength of the person to be healed, as well as their own," Rydia informed her. "It takes a little time to get all your energy back."

They kept walking down the empty street. It appeared to be early afternoon. "Hey, where are Minnie and Daisy?" asked Kairi.

Rydia shrugged. "I think they went out for a walk, or something. When they come back to the house, Terra will let them know where we are."

"Good. I don't want them to worry about me any longer than they have to."

Kairi found it a little strange that no one was outside. When she asked Rydia this, she was told that it was just a quiet part of town. She still had a sneaking suspicion that her battle with Nightshade might have had something to do with it, though.

Gradually, the street led into a large, open area. There were a few people here, but not very many. The two of them walked through the middle of the area, and turned right.

A ways down, a man walked up to them. "Hey, aren't you that girl who got beat up the other day?" he asked.

Kairi looked surprised. "You know about that?"

The man nodded. "Yeah. Saw a few people taking you somewhere. They wouldn't tell me what happened, but you looked pretty badly hurt. Good to see that you're alright."

Kairi smiled. "Thanks. I'd explain what happened, but it's…complicated."

"Understood," he said. "A lot of weird stuff happens around here. Man, you should have seen it before they found a way to keep the Heartless out. Not pretty."

He sighed. "Anyway, stay safe."

He walked away. Kairi looked over at Rydia, who looked nervous. "What is it?"

She shook her head. "Nothing much. Let's go."

* * *

Kairi knocked on the door. Nothing happened, so she knocked again. She heard something from inside, followed by "Just a moment, I'll be right there!"

A few seconds later, the door opened, with Merlin standing on the other side. "I've heard that you know where my friends are," she said.

Merlin looked at her. "Is that what Rydia told you?" he asked.

Rydia looked irritated. "Isn't that what you said?"

Merlin motioned for them to come in. The two of them walked into the small house, which seemed a bit messier than usual. "Sit down," he said.

Kairi and Rydia found places to sit, and Merlin took a deep breath. "I don't know for sure," he said. "However, I may have an idea of where they are. You see, when that creature came here – "

"Nightshade," interrupted Kairi. "He calls himself Nightshade."

"Well, when Nightshade came here, I was able to pick up on the unique energy he was giving off. You see, every living thing has its own unique "aura," I guess you could call it. Usually, one would need to become familiar with someone's aura in order to track them. But his was so unusual that it's very easy to follow."

Kairi's face lit up. "So you can find out where he is?" she exclaimed.

"Not precisely, but I can give you the general location. Do you have your map?"

"It's in the ship," said Rydia. "Kairi, let's go get it."

* * *

"And so, judging from what I've discovered, he should be somewhere in this general area," said Merlin, circling a section of the map with a pen. "Why don't you go and take a look? I'm certain that you'll find something there, even if it isn't Nightshade."

Kairi beamed. "Thank you so much! This means so much to me. Finally, we can actually get somewhere with our search!"

Merlin smiled back. "Good luck!"

So Kairi and Rydia left Merlin's house, and started back towards Terra's. "We should probably find Minnie and Daisy," suggested Rydia. "I know they're around here somewhere. You wanna head back to my house and wait for us?"

"Sure," said Kairi.

"You think you can find your way back on your own? It might get a little confusing."

"I think I can remember."

* * *

Meanwhile, Minnie and Daisy were doing a little bit of looking around. "You know, I don't believe I ever got a good look at this place," murmured Daisy. "It's a beautiful town."

Minnie nodded. "I'm sure it was even more beautiful before the Heatless overran it. Did you know that this is where they originated?"

"I think I'd been told that," said Daisy. "The people here must have done an excellent job cleaning up. Donald told me that the entire place was a mess only a year ago. You can't even tell now."

They walked past a few shops, and into a small park. "Do you think we should check and see how Kairi is doing?" asked Minnie. "She might be awake by now."

"Can we stay here a little longer?" asked Daisy, eyeing something in a shop window. "I'm sure that Terra is taking good care of her."

All of a sudden, they heard shouting. "Hey, you two!" said Rydia, loudly. "We've got some info on where that Nightshade creep might be. C'mon, we're got to hurry!"

She ran up to the two of them. "Kairi's up," she said. "Let's head on back to the house."

"She's awake?" repeated Minnie. "Thank goodness!"

Rydia grinned. "Yeah, I'm glad that she's OK. Now that we know where to go, we might actually find everyone!"

The group of five had met up at the house, and was just about to beam up to the ship when someone ran up to them. It was a boy about Rydia's age, with short, pale hair and dark-colored clothes. He wore a long blue scarf around his neck. "Hey Rydia, leaving already?" he asked.

Rydia looked confused. "Edge?"

He looked at Kairi. "Hey, you. Take care of my friend. I'd go with you myself, but there's no way my parents would let me. So just promise me that she'll be alright."

Rydia looked annoyed. "Edge! I'll be fine. You don't need to ask Kairi to keep me safe."

"Just wanna make sure," he said.

He waved, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

The next chapter is ready, it just needs to be typed. So it shouldn't be very long at all.


	24. Chapter Twenty Three: So Close, So Far

And I finally get around to posting this! Though it hasn't been as long as some times...but it's still been a while. I haven't actually worked on this story for a while, but it's going pretty well. Hope you like this chapter!

* * *

The ship had been flying for a while now, and Rydia was getting bored. She'd taken several trips up to the front to check on their progress, but it seemed to be going so slowly.

By now, Minnie had had enough practice with flying that she was willing to fly the ship on her own. It still amazed Rydia that she hadn't been able to fly her own ship at first, but clearly that had been remedied. Daisy still sat next to her, though, in case anything went wrong.

Meanwhile, in the back room, Terra was trying to teach Kairi some basic magic. "You know how I said that everyone has a flow of energy running through them?" stated Terra. "Well, basically, using magic means directing that energy, and causing it to manifest physically. You use it to do various things."

Terra drew her sword. "It's easier if you have something to channel it through, especially if you're a beginner. So why don't you summon your Keyblade, and we'll get started."

Kairi held her hand out, and her weapon appeared. Terra smiled. "Wish it was that simple for me," she said. "I have to carry this thing around if I want to use it."

She paused. "Anyway, let's begin with fire, since it's one of the simpler spells. We'll start out with the lowest level of these spells, but later on it would be a good idea to move on to more advanced ones."

Kairi stared at her Keyblade. "So then, what do I do?" she asked.

Terra thought for a moment. "It's a little tricky to explain. What you want to do first is just focus. See if you can feel that energy. Once you do that, try to take control of it. It won't be easy the first time, but after a while you'll be able to do it almost instantly.

Kairi nodded. "Got it. I'll try."

* * *

Rydia opened the door to the room that Kairi and Terra were in, and almost got hit with a blast of icy air. She glared at Kairi. "Hey, watch it!" she shouted.

Kairi looked embarrassed. "Sorry. Didn't think you'd be coming in here."

Rydia sighed. "Anyway, we've just entered the area that Merlin circled. We might be getting close."

Kairi ran past her, through the door, and into the front of the ship. Terra and Rydia followed. Kairi walked up to the control panel. "Have you seen anything?" she asked.

Daisy turned around, and shook her head. "No. We haven't passed by any worlds in quite a while. There doesn't appear to be much around here."

Kairi sighed. Could Merlin have been wrong? Maybe there really wasn't anything here. "Keep looking," she said. "Remember, bluish mist and a weird floating castle.

Terra walked up to her. "Would it help if Rydia and I look out the side windows?" she asked.

"That'd be great," said Kairi.

Terra took the right side, and Terra took the left. Kairi kept looking through the front window, scanning the bleak space between worlds. So far, nothing. Once or twice, she thought she saw unfamiliar worlds, but none of them appeared to be the one she'd seen reflected in the Mirror Stone.

After a little while, she began to tire of searching. There just wasn't anything to see. She was about to ask if they could take a break, but then Terra noticed something. "Kairi, come take a look at this," she said. "Minnie, could you slow down?"

The ship's pace slowed noticeably, and Kairi walked over to the window on the right. Over to one side, the usual blackness took on a bluish tinge. "I think this might be it," she murmured.

She ran back up to the front. "Hey Minnie, turn this way," she said, pointing to the window.

Minnie nodded, and the ship turned right until the strange area was visible through the front window. "Kairi, I think you're right!" exclaimed Daisy.

The ship began moving towards the mist. As they got closer, the blue color became brighter and more obvious. "I think we found it!" exclaimed Kairi. "Keep going!"

* * *

It wasn't obvious at first, but Nightshade could tell that something was approaching the castle. He waved his hand in front of him, and an image of a moderately-sized white and purple gummi ship came into view. He couldn't believe it. That girl and her friends were _still _after him? Even after he'd nearly killed her, she was still trying to find his captives?

He took a moment to think. He couldn't summon Heartless, although now was one of the times he wished he could. There had to be _something _he could do to keep that brat away.

He looked through the room, thinking of any failed ideas or tricks that could be useful in this situation.

* * *

"I think I see it!" shouted Kairi.

A ways in front of the ship, the large castle could be seen. It was just floating there, not attached to anything. Kairi wondered if Nightshade had built it, or if it had already been there.

All of a sudden, a deep humming noise could be heard. It was barely noticeable, but once Kairi noticed it, she couldn't seem to tune it out. "Anyone else hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" asked Minnie.

"That sound. I don't think it's a good sign."

Right after she spoke, the area below the castle began to glow strangely. Something resembling a curved stone wall began to form. Slowly, it began to surround the castle.

Thinking quickly, Daisy took over the controls, and the ship moved forward. It went faster and faster, rocketing towards the wall. "What are you doing?" shouted Terra. "If you keep going, we'll crash!"

"Not if we can make it before the wall is finished," Daisy shouted back.

The wall was almost a third of the way over the castle, and it seemed to be growing more quickly now. "Daisy, stop it!" screamed Rydia. "We're too far away – we can't make it!"

The ship flew upwards, trying to beat the wall. It appeared to be going way too quickly for them to catch up. Daisy hit a few buttons, and beams of light started firing at the wall. To her frustration, the wall wasn't even scratched.

She set the ship to its maximum power, and tried to catch up. By this time, the wall had almost surrounded the castle. Daisy could tell that she wasn't going to make it, but she couldn't stand to give up. The ship shot towards the small gap in the wall, until finally, the gap closed. The wall had completely covered the castle. Quickly, Daisy turned the ship away from the wall. "Dangit," she muttered. "Would've made it if we'd had just a few more seconds."

"It's OK," said Kairi, glumly. "You tried your best. We'll just have to find another way in."

Terra put her hand on Kairi's shoulder. "Well, now we know where he is," she said. "That's a big step in the right direction."

Kairi nodded, but said nothing.

* * *

Nightshade waved his hand, and the image of the castle's barricade disappeared. It had been a close call, but the girl and her friends had been deterred. As long as this wall was up, he could proceed with his plans without their interference.

He sat down in his chair. He should probably begin his plans as soon as possible. After all, if he finished before they found their way in, then there would be no one left for them to save. He walked to his bookshelf, and grabbed a few large, worn out old volumes. If these books were accurate, then the method would take some work. But it would all be worth it. Finally, he could return himself to the way he should be. Finally, he could step out of hiding and continue his life where it had left off.

* * *

_You're thinking about home, aren't you?_

Roxas' voice interrupted Sora's daydreams all of a sudden. The boy had been lying on the bed, trying to relax. Instead, thoughts of clear blue water and salty air had begun to creep into his mind. _Yeah, I was. How'd you know?_

He could feel Roxas' slight amusement. _Because I'm on a beach. This place changes depending on how you're feeling and what you're thinking about, remember? _

Sora smiled. _I wish I could be there. _

_ Don't. It's not a real beach, anyway. _

Sora changed the subject. _Have you had any more dreams about that girl?_

_ What girl?_

_ The one you mentioned a few days ago. You said she looked just like Kairi used to, except with black hair instead of red. _

Roxas was quiet for a moment. _No, I never saw her again. She probably was just a part of the dream, not a real person. After all, I've never seen her in real life before. _

_ Maybe._

Suddenly, Sora remembered something. _I had a weird dream last night, _he thought.

_Really? What was it about?_

_ Nothing much. It was in this world I've never been to, and there were two other people. They were older than me, maybe nineteen. One of them was a guy wearing red and yellow, with spiky brown hair. _

_ Like you?_

_ No, not like me. Different style. He reminded me of someone, but I'm not sure who. _

_ Who was the other person?_

_ A girl with short-ish blue hair. In the dream, I knew their names, but I can't remember them now. We were just hanging out together, like we'd known each other all our lives. But you know what was weird? _

_ What?_

_ In the dream, I looked just like you. _

Roxas chuckled. _You dreamed you were me?_

_ I wasn't, though. I just looked like you. They weren't calling me by your name. They were calling me something else. But I can't remember that, either. _

_ Well, I've never met anyone who looked like those people. _

Both of them were quiet for a while, until Sora continued. _It was really vivid, too. I just remembered it now. _

_ I doubt it means anything. _

_ I know. But still, it was a nice dream. It felt so…familiar. Like I _did _know them._

Sora climbed off the bed, and walked over to the door. _I'm going to see who's in the central room.

* * *

_

Sorry for all these random references to newer KH games. I just can't help throwing them in. xD Anyway, I don't know when the next chapter will be up. But it shouldn't be all that long. You certainly won't have to wait as long as you did for chapter 22. I'll try and get working on the story again.

And by the way, I'm probably going to start revising the older chapters soon. You know, since it's been so long since I started the story. (Over two years. Really.) Because of this, the number of chapters might change a little bit, as there's at least one unneeded screw-up of a chapter that will be edited out. So if that happens, or if the beginning of the story seems different (read: better written) to you, then that would be why. I'm not sure how many chapters will be revised. Probably up to somewhere around the Atlantica chapters, because while I was writing those chapters I'd have long periods of time when I wouldn't write. Either way, that's something that I'll definitely do soon. So just be patient, OK? Thanks.


	25. Chapter Twenty Four: Pest Control

OK, another chapter. I'm still working on revising the early chapters, but it's going kind of slowly. I'll be updating the chapters with the revised versions as well as adding new ones. Though there's at least one chapter that I'll be getting rid of entirely, so the chapter numbers will probably change at some point. When that happens, just know that this is why. Hope you like this chapter.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you with this," said Merlin, sounding disappointed. "If I don't know what kind of magic created that barrier, then I can't get rid of it."

"I see," said Kairi, disappointed. "Thank you anyway."

She walked out of Merlin's house, leaving the others behind. Minnie stared at the closed door. "I think this is really wearing her down," she said.

"Kairi, you mean?" said Terra. "Of course it is. We finally made it this far, only to have another roadblock put in our path. Of course she's disappointed.

Merlin thought for a moment. "I can't help you, but if you need something to take your friend's mind off her worries, then there might be a job for you."

* * *

The four of them left the house, and found Kairi sitting alone on a nearby bench. As they approached, she sat up and walked over to them. "Merlin has a favor to ask of us," said Daisy.

Kairi looked down. "We don't have time for that," she muttered.

Terra stepped closer to Kairi. "Just hear us out," she said.

"Besides," said Minnie, "Helping people out always makes me feel better. Maybe it'll be the same for you."

Kairi sighed. "What does he want us to do?"

Terra took a deep breath, and began to explain. "Well, you know that there's a bunch of people working to restore the town, right? Well, a good chunk of the work around here has been done, but that's not the problem."

She paused. "See, most of the Heartless around here still live in the castle. So there's a smaller group that's dedicated to clearing out the castle. They'd been doing well, but then they ran into trouble. There's a particularly big, nasty one that just showed up. They're preparing to go back and kill it, but they'll need all the help they can get."

"So Merlin wants us to work with them?" asked Kairi.

Rydia nodded. "He told us where one of the co-leaders lives, so let's go pay them a visit. You OK with this, Kairi?"

Kairi nodded. "I guess so. Hopefully, it won't take too long."

* * *

The five of them walked down another street. By now, Kairi was beginning to figure out the layout of this part of town. "What are we looking for?" she asked.

Rydia looked down at a sheet of paper, and read the address. "It's supposed to be kind of a weird house. He said you can't miss it."

They walked through the streets, looking for the right one. "Should be right around here," said Terra.

Finally, they found the right street. It was a small, out-of-the-way little place, and the style of the houses was a little bit different. Kairi figured that maybe it had been built at a different time than the surrounding area. They walked down the street, looking for anything unusual. Eventually, they reached a small house at the end of the street. Rydia checked the number, then turned to the rest of the group and nodded. "This is it," she said.

It _was_ a strange place. In front of the house was a small garden, full of all sorts of unusual plants. The center of the garden was dominated by a very tall stalk with an orb at the tip that looked kind of like a lamp. The house itself looked almost as if it had been made of scrap metal. Perhaps it had been.

Kairi walked up to the door, and the others followed. The door resembled the rest of the house, and in the center was an elaborate knocker shaped like a dragon's head. She hesitated a bit, then grabbed onto the knocker and rapped it against the door.

Almost immediately, footsteps could be heard coming from behind the door. The door opened suddenly, revealing the person they were looking for.

She was a tall woman, looking to be somewhere in her mid-twenties. Her skin was lightly tanned, and her hair was long and dark with the tips dyed red. She wore a cropped blue tank top, black shorts, and sandals.

The woman looked at Kairi. "You're not here to sell me something, are you?" she asked.

Kairi shook her head. "Actually, we heard you need help."

"You're in charge of the group that's killing Heartless in the castle, right?" asked Daisy. "That's what Merlin told us."

"Co-leader," the woman reminded them. "Me and my friend. She lives on the next street over."

She examined the five of them. "You all can fight?" she asked.

"We can," said Kairi. "I mean, Daisy's more of a healer, but – "

"You sure you won't get killed?"

"We're sure," said Kairi.

"Good," said the woman. "Because we don't need weaklings holding us back, and we don't want any deaths on our hands."

She extended her hand towards Kairi. "Name's Fang," she said. "I appreciate your help."

Fang motioned towards the door. "C'mon in," she said.

The group followed her through the door. The inside of the house was simple, without much clutter or decoration. Fang walked into what appeared to be the living room, and picked up a phone. " I gotta call my friend," she said. "She needs to know that we've got some volunteers."

She motioned for them to sit down, and they did. She dialed some numbers, and put the phone to her ear. After a few seconds, she spoke. "It's Fang," she said. "We've got five people that want to help us."

Another pause. "Yeah, with the Heartless problem."

Kairi lay back on the sofa, not really paying attention to Fang's phone call. She knew that Minnie was right and that helping this group probably would make her feel better. But at the same time, she wanted to get to Nightshade as soon as possible. They couldn't afford to waste time. But helping someone…that wasn't wasting time, was it? Besides, this town was Terra and Rydia's home as well. If she helped Fang and the rest of them, she'd be doing them a favor as well.

After a few minutes, Fang put the phone down. "Vanille wants to meet you," she said. "C'mon, I'll show you the way."

* * *

The other half of the group's leadership lived in a small, cute house midway down the next street. It was painted pale pink, and on the front steps was a flowerpot overflowing with bluish-white flowers.

Fang walked up to the door, and rang the doorbell. "Just a minute!" shouted a voice from behind the door.

A few seconds later, the door opened. The girl at the door looked to be around Kairi's age, maybe slightly older. She had bright pink hair tied into pigtails. She wore a pink halter-top shirt and cutoff khaki shorts, along with light brown boots and a beaded necklace.

She took a good look at the group. "So you're here to help?" she asked.

"We are," said Kairi. "We've heard that you could use all the help you can get."

The girl nodded. "That's absolutely true."

She stepped forward, and grabbed Kairi's hand. "My name's Vanille," she said, cheerfully. "And you are?"

"Kairi," said Kairi.

Vanille looked at all the others. "What about all of you?" she asked.

Minnie smiled, and introduced herself. Daisy did the same, and Terra and Rydia followed. Vanille motioned for them to come inside, and they did so.

The inside of the house was still simple, but it was a lot more colorful than Fang's. She brought them into the kitchen, and pointed to the table. "Sit down," she said.

Fang glanced over at the table, and the three chairs next to it. "Better get some more chairs," she said.

Vanille ran off into another room. "She looks a little bit young to be leading a group of Heartless hunters," said Terra.

Fang pointed to Rydia. "Your friend here is even younger, and I don't see you worrying about her."

Rydia put her hands on her hips. "I can fight just fine!" she protested.

"Well, so can Vanille," said Fang. "You've yet to see her in action, so don't be critical."

"I didn't say that she couldn't fight," said Terra. "I just said that she's a little young for the job."

"Sora was fourteen when everything started," said Kairi, quietly. "But he's done more than any of us could hope to."

Fang looked over at Kairi. "Sora…" she muttered. "I know that name."

"Keyblade master," said Kairi. "He was the one keeping the worlds safe from the Heartless. He's also the one who restored all the worlds that they'd destroyed."

Fang thought for a moment. "You know him?" she asked.

Kairi nodded. "We've been friends as long as I can remember."

Her face changed to an expression of disappointment. "But he's in trouble right now," she said. "Him, and Riku – our other friend – and a whole lot of other people."

She motioned towards Minnie, Daisy, Terra, and Rydia. "That's why we're all together," she said. "We're trying to save them."

"Can't they help themselves?" asked Vanille.

She'd been standing unnoticed in the doorway, with a stack of folding chairs propped up against the wall. "I mean, if Sora can save all those worlds, why can't he just bust out by himself?"

"Good question," said Fang. "Why can't he?"

It was a question that Kairi had asked herself on more than one occasion. She wasn't quite sure why the guys didn't just escape on their own. But they hadn't. So there must be a good reason for it. "I don't know," she said. "But just in case they can't, we're going to help them. We already know where they are – all we need to do is get in."

Vanille walked over to the table, and set up the chairs. Everyone sat down, and she spoke. "If you need to help your friends, why don't you go ahead and do that?" she asked. "Why waste time helping us?"

"No act of kindness is ever wasted," said Minnie.

Fang looked over at her. "Cute," she said. "But you have no obligation to help us. If you don't want to, then don't. We'll be fine without you."

Terra sighed. "This town is my home," she said. "I, for one, would like to keep it safe."

Rydia nodded. "Me too. I wanna do everything I can. If you'll let us help, I'll be glad to."

"I think we have time," said Daisy. "Besides, maybe this will get us back in the mood to continue our journey."

"I agree," said Minnie.

She looked at Kairi. "What do you think? Are you willing to take some time to help?"

Kairi didn't know whether Sora, Riku, and the others were in any immediate danger. But she figured that doing Hollow Bastion a favor wouldn't be a problem. Besides, to not help someone despite being able and willing seemed almost cruel.

She nodded. "Yes. Let's go clean up the castle!"

* * *

Vanille put down the phone. "There," she said. "That was the last person. We're all meeting on the edge of town tomorrow morning."

Kairi wasn't thrilled about waiting until the next day, but she knew that everyone couldn't be expected to show up on such short notice. Besides, as Fang had pointed out, it was getting late, and hunting Heartless at night was a bad idea.

Minnie walked up to Vanille. "So how big is this group?" she asked.

"There's around eight of us right now," said Vanille. "Three more have signed up to help with this particular case."

"Isn't that enough?" asked Rydia.

"Usually, it's plenty. But this Heartless is different. It…"

She started waving and gesturing with her hands. "It's a huge thing with armored skin, and it likes to hide, and it attracts other Heartless, and it's way faster than it looks, and…"

She stopped, noticing everyone's confused expressions. "Fang, maybe you should explain."

Her friend nodded. "We've never seen anything like it before, " she said. "For one thing, it's huge, almost twice the size of the Behemoth we ran into a few weeks ago."

Rydia looked confused. "Behemoth?"

"Very powerful type of Heartless," said Vanille. "If you've never run into one, you're lucky."

Fang continued. "It seems to have very hard skin, so it's difficult to damage it properly. It also seems to be able to make itself less visible in the shadows. It's much faster than you'd expect for something its size. Not only that, but sometimes it'll make this shrieking noise, and other Heartless will come to protect it."

"I've never heard of anything that did that," said Terra.

"It's very unusual, that's for sure," said Fang. "I don't know where this one came from, but it's not going to be very easy to kill. That's why we're bringing so many people along. We might not need that many, but better safe than sorry."

She turned towards Kairi. "You'd better sleep well tonight. You have to be prepared for tomorrow."

Kairi nodded. "Gotcha."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to sleep on the floor?" asked Terra.

Kairi nodded. "Minnie has the spare bed, and Daisy is using the sofa. I think I'll be OK."

Terra shrugged. "In that case, I'll go get you a sleeping bag."

She walked off to somewhere else, leaving Kairi n the living room.

Kairi was still a little bit uneasy about what would happen the next day. If such a large group had trouble with this Heartless, then would adding a few more inexperienced fighters really make much of a difference?

She wished that Sora was here. With his help, this would be no trouble at all. Heck, with his help, they would probably only need half the group. But he wasn't here. They'd have to manage.

Terra walked back into the room, holding a sleeping bag and a large, fluffy pillow. "Here," she said. "Go ahead and set that up, OK?"

Kairi nodded. She pulled the sleeping bag out of the sack, and laid it down on the floor. The floor was covered with a thick carpet, so just the sleeping bag would be fine.

She lay there for a while, thinking, but was soon interrupted by Daisy entering the room. Daisy looked over at Kairi. "You don't snore, do you?" she asked.

"I don't think so," said Kairi, a little put off by the question.

Daisy smiled. "Of course not. I'm just making sure. I hate sleeping in the same room with people who do."

Kairi was quiet for a while, as Daisy lay down on the sofa and pulled a blanket over herself. "I'm kind of worried," Kairi finally said. "You know…about tomorrow."

"Understandable," said Daisy. "It sounds like a challenge."

"See, after that fight with Nightshade, it became obvious that I'm still not very good in combat," Kairi continued. "I thought I'd improved a lot, but now I'm not so sure."

"You've improved. Believe me," Daisy assured her."

"I know, but have I improved enough? Sure, there'll be a lot of us, but I'll still have to help. I mean…what if something happens? Not just to me, either. What if someone dies? Would I be able to see that and keep going?"

"No one's going to die," said Daisy. "I've been told that there will be one or two other healers there as well. I'm sure that we'll be able to keep everyone in good condition."

Kairi thought about that. Would a few healers really be able to cover such a large group? She really hoped so."

"Besides," said Daisy, "we can trust Fang and Vanille. If they didn't know what they were doing, they wouldn't have lasted this long."

She yawned. "Get to sleep. If you aren't well-rested, then how do you expect to fight properly?"

"Alright," said Kairi. "G'night."

She put her head down, and tried to relax. It wasn't long before she'd drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Yeah, I know, more random Final Fantasy characters. I know I've done too much of that already, but I just couldn't resist. Besides, these two are more than just cameos - one or both of them will end up being fairly important.

Anyway. As usual, I don't know how long it'll be before the next chapter is up, but chances are that you can expect a revised chapter or two before then. Keep checking up on the old chapters - the first one has already been redone. By the way, I'd say that the story is probably a little over two-thirds done. I have the whole rest of it planned out, so all I really need to do is write it. I've promised myself that I'll finish this story, and I will. :)


	26. Important announcement

This is sort of a replacement for the "on hiatus" announcement that used to be here. I have different plans now, so I figured I might as well let all of you know.

In the past, I'd been working on a revision of this story. I mean, let's be honest – this is an OLD fic. It's been…what, four years since I started it? There's a whole lot of stuff in it that's not well written, and there are other things that just don't make sense. There's at least one subplot that went nowhere and was dropped before it could start. It's just messy. Messy and amateurish. For this reason, I feel now that just a revision isn't enough.

Once I finish with Distant Hearts, I'll be starting a full rewrite of this story. I'll warn you now, it'll be different. Some of the characters will be taken out or made less significant, and there will probably be a few new ones introduced. The writing will be improved greatly, and many of the chapters will be longer and more fleshed-out. Certain details and minor plot points will be edited and smoothed out. The whole thing will basically be streamlined and improved in order to better reflect the direction the fic has moved in. Initially, I was making things up as I went along, and only later did I really develop a plan. This time, I'll try and make the whole thing fit together better.

I understand that those of you who haven't abandoned this story altogether probably won't be happy about this. After all, it does mean that nothing new will be happening for quite a while. Still, I hope you can understand my intent. I think you'll be happy with the result. I appreciate your support and interest in This Time I'll Save You, and I encourage you to check out the updated version when I begin working on it.

Since it's such an extensive rewrite, I figure it should have a new name. My current plan is "Reciprocate," but I might change my mind. I'll link to it as soon as I put it up.

Thank you for listening. Please feel free to PM me your opinions about this. I've got plenty of time to think about this before I start.


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